²⁴ Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius^(A) king of Persia.

² This is what the Lord Almighty^(A) says: “These people^(B) say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.^(C)’”

³ Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^{(D) 4} “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,^(E) while this house remains a ruin?^(F)”

⁵ Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(G) to your ways. ⁶ You have planted much, but harvested little.^(H) You eat, but never have enough.^(I) You drink, but never have your fill.^(J) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,^(K) only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

⁷ This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(L) to your ways. ⁸ Go up into the mountains and bring down timber^(M) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure^(N) in it and be honored,^(O)” says the Lord. ⁹ “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.^(P) What you brought home, I blew^(Q) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,^(R) while each of you is busy with your own house.

¹⁵ “‘Now give careful thought^(A) to this from this day on^[a]—consider how things were before one stone was laid^(B) on another in the Lord’s temple.^(C)

⁹ This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Now hear these words, ‘Let your hands be strong^(A) so that the temple may be built.’ This is also what the prophets^(B) said who were present when the foundation^(C) was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty.