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,

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Footnotes

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

‘Who of you is left who saw this house(A) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?(B) But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong,(C) Joshua son of Jozadak,(D) the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with(E) you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted(F) with you when you came out of Egypt.(G) And my Spirit(H) remains among you. Do not fear.’(I)

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while(J) I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,(K) the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired(L) by all nations will come, and I will fill this house(M) with glory,(N)’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold(O) is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory(P) of this present house(Q) will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,(R)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

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