Psalm 98

A psalm.

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

1 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)

² 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)’”

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

⁵ Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(N) to your ways. ⁶ 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.”

⁷ This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(S) to your ways. ⁸ 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. ⁹ “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)

Not Circumcision but the New Creation

¹¹ See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!^(A)

¹² Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh^(B) are trying to compel you to be circumcised.^(C) The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted^(D) for the cross of Christ. ¹³ Not even those who are circumcised keep the law,^(E) yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.^{(F) 14} May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,^(G) through which^[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.^{(H) 15} Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything;^(I) what counts is the new creation.^{(J) 16} Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to^[b] the Israel of God.

¹⁷ From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks^(K) of Jesus.

¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ^(L) be with your spirit,^(M) brothers and sisters. Amen.