Haggai Begins Temple Building

In the (A)second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet (B)Haggai to (C)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (D)governor of Judah, and to (E)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “Thus says the Lord of [a]hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”’” Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house (F)lies desolate?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “[b]Consider your ways! You have (G)sown much, but [c]harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is [d]not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”

Thus says the Lord of hosts, “[e]Consider your ways! Go up to the [f]mountains, bring wood and (H)rebuild the [g]temple, that I may be (I)pleased with it and be (J)glorified,” says the Lord. (K)You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I (L)blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which (M)lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the (N)sky has withheld [h]its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 I called for a (O)drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on (P)men, on cattle, and on (Q)all the labor of [i]your hands.”

12 Then (R)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (S)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, (T)obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people [j](U)showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the (V)messenger of the Lord, spoke [k]by the commission of the Lord to the people saying, “‘(W)I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of (X)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (Y)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the (Z)remnant of the people; and they came and (AA)worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:2 Lit hosts, saying
  2. Haggai 1:5 Lit Set your heart on
  3. Haggai 1:6 Lit bring in
  4. Haggai 1:6 Lit not becoming drunk
  5. Haggai 1:7 Lit Set your heart on
  6. Haggai 1:8 Lit mountain
  7. Haggai 1:8 Lit house
  8. Haggai 1:10 Lit from dew
  9. Haggai 1:11 Lit the palms
  10. Haggai 1:12 Lit feared before
  11. Haggai 1:13 Or the message

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

In the second year of King Darius,(A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai(B) to Zerubbabel(C) son of Shealtiel, governor(D) of Judah, and to Joshua(E) son of Jozadak,[a](F) the high priest:(G)

This is what the Lord Almighty(H) says: “These people(I) say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.(J)’”

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:(K) “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,(L) while this house remains a ruin?(M)

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(N) to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little.(O) You eat, but never have enough.(P) You drink, but never have your fill.(Q) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,(R) only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(S) to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber(T) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure(U) in it and be honored,(V)” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.(W) What you brought home, I blew(X) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,(Y) while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld(Z) their dew(AA) and the earth its crops.(AB) 11 I called for a drought(AC) on the fields and the mountains,(AD) on the grain, the new wine,(AE) the olive oil(AF) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.(AG)

12 Then Zerubbabel(AH) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant(AI) of the people obeyed(AJ) the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared(AK) the Lord.

13 Then Haggai,(AL) the Lord’s messenger,(AM) gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with(AN) you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up(AO) the spirit of Zerubbabel(AP) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,(AQ) the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant(AR) of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.(AS)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:1 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verses 12 and 14

Warnings and Instructions

28 The wicked (A)flee when no one is pursuing,
But the righteous are [a]bold as a lion.
By the transgression of a land (B)many are its princes,
But (C)by a man of understanding and knowledge, so it endures.
A (D)poor man who oppresses the lowly
Is like a driving rain [b]which leaves no food.
Those who forsake the law (E)praise the wicked,
But those who keep the law (F)strive with them.
Evil men (G)do not understand justice,
But those who seek the Lord (H)understand all things.
(I)Better is the poor who walks in his integrity
Than he who is [c]crooked though he be rich.
He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
But he who is a companion of (J)gluttons humiliates his father.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:1 Lit confident
  2. Proverbs 28:3 Lit and there is no bread
  3. Proverbs 28:6 Lit perverse of two ways

28 The wicked flee(A) though no one pursues,(B)
    but the righteous are as bold as a lion.(C)

When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
    but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order.

A ruler[a] who oppresses the poor
    is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.

Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
    but those who heed it resist them.

Evildoers do not understand what is right,
    but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than the rich whose ways are perverse.(D)

A discerning son heeds instruction,
    but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:3 Or A poor person

The Perfect High Priest

For every high priest (A)taken from among men is appointed on behalf of men in (B)things pertaining to God, in order to (C)offer both gifts and sacrifices (D)for sins; [a](E)he can deal gently with the (F)ignorant and (G)misguided, since he himself also is [b](H)beset with weakness; and because of it he is obligated to offer sacrifices (I)for sins, (J)as for the people, so also for himself. And (K)no one takes the honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even (L)as Aaron was.

So also Christ (M)did not glorify Himself so as to become a (N)high priest, but He who (O)said to Him,

(P)You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You”;

just as He says also in another passage,

(Q)You are a priest forever
According to (R)the order of Melchizedek.”

[c]In the days of His flesh, [d](S)He offered up both prayers and supplications with (T)loud crying and tears to the One (U)able to save Him [e]from death, and He [f]was heard because of His (V)piety. Although He was (W)a Son, He learned (X)obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made (Y)perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as (Z)a high priest according to (AA)the order of Melchizedek.

11 Concerning [g]him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though [h]by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you (AB)the [i](AC)elementary principles of the (AD)oracles of God, and you have come to need (AE)milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an (AF)infant. 14 But solid food is for (AG)the mature, who because of practice have their senses (AH)trained to (AI)discern good and evil.

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 5:2 Lit being able to
  2. Hebrews 5:2 Or subject to weakness
  3. Hebrews 5:7 I.e. during Christ’s earthly life
  4. Hebrews 5:7 Lit who having offered up
  5. Hebrews 5:7 Or out of
  6. Hebrews 5:7 Lit having been heard
  7. Hebrews 5:11 Lit whom or which
  8. Hebrews 5:12 Lit because of the time
  9. Hebrews 5:12 Lit elements of the beginning

Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God,(A) to offer gifts and sacrifices(B) for sins.(C) He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray,(D) since he himself is subject to weakness.(E) This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.(F) And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.(G)

In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory(H) of becoming a high priest.(I) But God said(J) to him,

“You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father.”[a](K)

And he says in another place,

“You are a priest forever,
    in the order of Melchizedek.(L)[b](M)

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions(N) with fervent cries and tears(O) to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard(P) because of his reverent submission.(Q) Son(R) though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered(S) and, once made perfect,(T) he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest(U) in the order of Melchizedek.(V)

Warning Against Falling Away(W)

11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths(X) of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!(Y) 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,(Z) is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature,(AA) who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.(AB)

Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 5:5 Psalm 2:7
  2. Hebrews 5:6 Psalm 110:4