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)

5 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God,^(A) to offer gifts and sacrifices^(B) for sins.^{(C) 2} He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray,^(D) since he himself is subject to weakness.^{(E) 3} This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.^{(F) 4} And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was.^(G)

⁵ In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory^(H) of becoming a high priest.^(I) But God said^(J) to him,

⁶ And he says in another place,

⁷ During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions^(N) with fervent cries and tears^(O) to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard^(P) because of his reverent submission.^{(Q) 8} Son^(R) though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered^{(S) 9} and, once made perfect,^(T) he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him ¹⁰ and was designated by God to be high priest^(U) in the order of Melchizedek.^(V)

Warning Against Falling Away^(W)

¹¹ We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. ¹² In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths^(X) of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!^{(Y) 13} Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant,^(Z) is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature,^(AA) who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.^(AB)