Command to Rebuild the Temple

In the second year of King Darius,[a](A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet(B) Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,(C) the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:(D)

“The Lord of Armies says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”(E)

The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses,(F) while this house[b] lies in ruins?” Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully(G) about[c] your ways:

You have planted much
but harvested little.
You eat
but never have enough to be satisfied.
You drink
but never have enough to be happy.
You put on clothes
but never have enough to get warm.
The wage earner puts his wages
into a bag with a hole in it.”(H)

The Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways. Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house; and I will be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined[d] it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.

10 So on your account,[e]
the skies have withheld the dew
and the land its crops.(I)
11 I have summoned a drought
on the fields and the hills,
on the grain, new wine, fresh oil,
and whatever the ground yields,
on people and animals,
and on all that your hands produce.”

The People’s Response

12 Then Zerubbabel(J) son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people(K) obeyed the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord.(L)

13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you(M)—this is the Lord’s declaration.”

14 The Lord roused the spirit(N) of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They began work on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 King of Persia reigned 522–486 BC
  2. 1:4 = the temple
  3. 1:5 Lit Place your heart on, also in v. 7
  4. 1:9 Lit blew on
  5. 1:10 Or So above you

¶ Nan dezyèm lanne rèy wa Dariyis nan peyi Pès la, premye jou nan sizyèm mwa a, Seyè a te bay pwofèt Aje yon mesaj pou Zowobabèl, pitit gason Chealtyèl la, ki te gouvènè peyi Jida ansanm ak pou Jozye, pitit gason Jozadak la, ki te granprèt lè sa a. Men mesaj la:

-Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a pale. Men sa li di: Moun yo ap plede di se poko lè pou yo bati kay Seyè a!

Se poutèt sa, men mesaj Seyè a te bay pwofèt Aje pou pèp la.

Ki jan nou fè pa wont rete nan gwo kay nou byen alèz, epi nou kite kay Bondye a tou kraze?

Bon. Koulye a, men sa Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a di: Kalkile byen sou sa k'ap rive nou la a.

Nou simen anpil grenn nan jaden nou, men nou rekòlte ti kras. Nou manje, men vant nou pa plen. Nou bwè diven, men kè nou pa kontan. Nou gen rad pou mete sou nou, men fredi ap kale nou toujou. Travayè yo touche lajan, men sa pa ka bouche yon twou dan.

Wi! Men sa Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a di nou: Kalkile byen sou sa k'ap rive nou la a!

Lèfini, ale nan mòn yo. Koupe bwa pote vini. Rebati kay mwen an. Sa va fè m' plezi, se va yon lwanj pou mwen. Se Seyè a ki di sa.

Nou te kwè nou t'ap fè bèl rekòt. Men, rekòt la mèg. Nou ranmase l' mete nan depo, mwen fè l' gate. Poukisa mwen fè sa? Se Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa k'ap pale wi. Se paske nou kite tanp mwen an ap kraze epi tout moun ap prese bati kay pa yo.

10 Se poutèt sa, lapli pa tonbe, anyen pa pouse.

11 Mwen lage yon sèl chechrès nan peyi a, sou mòn yo, sou jaden ble yo, sou jaden rezen yo ak jaden oliv yo, sou tou sa k'ap pouse sou latè, sou moun, sou bèt, sou tout sa nou plante.

12 ¶ Lè sa a, Zowobabèl, pitit Chealtyèl la, Jozye, granprèt la, pitit Jozadak la, ansanm ak tout moun ki te tounen soti nan peyi kote yo te depòte yo a, yo koute sa Seyè a, Bondye yo a, te di yo, dapre mesaj Seyè a te bay pwofèt Aje pou yo a. Yo te vin gen krentif pou Seyè a.

13 Epi, Aje, mesaje Seyè a, bay pèp la yon lòt mesaj Seyè a te ba li. Li di yo: -Seyè a fè nou konnen li la avèk nou.

14 Seyè a mete nan tèt tout moun lanvi pou yo travay nan tanp Bondye yo a, depi Zowobabèl, pitit gason Chealtyèl la, gouvènè peyi Jida a, Jozye, granprèt la, pitit gason Jozadak la, jouk dènye moun ki te tounen soti nan peyi kote yo te depòte yo a. Yo konmanse travay nan tanp Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a, Bondye yo a,

15 jou ki te make vennkatriyèm jou nan sizyèm mwa nan dezyèm lanne rèy wa Dariyis la.