The Command to Build God’s House(A)

In (B)the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by (C)Haggai the prophet to (D)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to (E)Joshua the son of (F)Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ”

Then the word of the Lord (G)came by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it (H)time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this [a]temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: (I)“Consider your ways!

“You have (J)sown much, and bring in little;
You eat, but do not have enough;
You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
And (K)he who earns wages,
Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the (L)mountains and bring wood and build the [b]temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. (M)You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, (N)I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore (O)the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I (P)called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on (Q)all the labor of your hands.”

The People’s Obedience

12 (R)Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, 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 feared the presence of the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people, saying, (S)“I am with you, says the Lord.” 14 So (T)the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (U)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; (V)and they came and 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 King Darius.

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:4 Lit. house
  2. Haggai 1:8 Lit. house

In the second year of Daryavesh the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the following word of Adonai came through Hagai the prophet to Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el, governor of Y’hudah, and to Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol: “Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘This people is saying that now isn’t the time — the time hasn’t yet arrived for Adonai’s house to be rebuilt.’”

Then this word of Adonai came through Hagai the prophet: “So is now the time for you to be living in your own paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? Therefore here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says:

‘Think about your life!
You sow much but bring in little;
you eat but aren’t satisfied;
you drink but never have enough;
you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
and he who works for a living earns wages
that are put in a bag full of holes.’”

“Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘Think about your life! Go up into the hills, get wood, and rebuild the house. I will be pleased with that, and then I will be glorified,’ says Adonai. ‘You looked for much, but it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?’ asks Adonai-Tzva’ot. ‘Because my house lies in ruins, while every one of you runs to take care of his own house. 10 This is why the sky above you has withheld the dew, so that there is none, and the land withholds its yield. 11 In fact, I called for a drought on the land and on the hills, on the grain, the wine and the olive oil, on what the ground brings up, on men, animals and on all that hands produce.’”

12 Then Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el and Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, with all the rest of the people, paid attention to what Adonai their God had said and to the words of Hagai the prophet; since Adonai their God had sent him; and the people were filled with fear in the presence of Adonai. 13 Hagai the messenger of Adonai conveyed this message of Adonai to the people: “‘I am with you,’ says Adonai.”

14 Adonai roused the spirit of Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el, governor of Y’hudah, and the spirit of Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, and the spirits of all the rest of the people; so that they came and began to work on the house of Adonai-Tzva’ot their God. 15 This was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year of Daryavesh the king.