² “This is what the Lord of armies ^[a]says: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”’” ³ Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, ⁴ “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remains ^(A)desolate?” ⁵ Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “^[b]Consider your ways! ⁶ You have ^(B)sown much, only to ^[c]harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for ^[d]anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.”

⁷ The Lord of armies says this: “^[e]Consider your ways! ⁸ Go up to the ^[f]mountains, bring wood, and ^(C)rebuild the ^[g]temple, that I may be ^(D)pleased with it and be ^(E)honored,” says the Lord. ⁹ “^(F)You ^[h]start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I ^(G)blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies. “It is because of My house which ^(H)remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. ¹⁰ Therefore, because of you the ^(I)sky has withheld ^[i]its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. ¹¹ And I called for a ^(J)drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on ^(K)mankind, on cattle, and on ^(L)all the products of the labor of ^[j]your hands.”