² Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built.

¹⁰ And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

²³ Now when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.

²⁴ Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem. So it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

5 Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.

² Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

⁴ He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

¹⁰ Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

³¹ But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

²⁵ The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

¹³ The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴ As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵ The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶ The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

¹³ The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.