Haggai Begins Temple Building

In the (A)second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet (B)Haggai to (C)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (D)governor of Judah, and to (E)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “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.”’” Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remains (F)desolate?” Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “[b]Consider your ways! You have (G)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.”

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

12 Then (R)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (S)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, (T)obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, just as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people [k](U)showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the (V)messenger of the Lord, spoke [l]by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, “‘(W)I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of (X)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (Y)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the (Z)remnant of the people; and they came and (AA)worked 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 Darius the king.

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:2 Lit says, saying
  2. Haggai 1:5 Lit Set your heart on
  3. Haggai 1:6 Lit bring in
  4. Haggai 1:6 Lit him
  5. Haggai 1:7 Lit Set your heart on
  6. Haggai 1:8 Lit mountain
  7. Haggai 1:8 Lit house
  8. Haggai 1:9 Lit turn to much
  9. Haggai 1:10 Lit from dew
  10. Haggai 1:11 Lit palms
  11. Haggai 1:12 Lit feared before
  12. Haggai 1:13 Or with the commissioned message

The Command to Rebuild the Temple

(A)In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to (B)Zerubbabel the son of (C)Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to (D)Joshua the son of (E)Jehozadak, the high priest: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” Then the word of the Lord came (F)by the hand of Haggai the prophet, (G)“Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while (H)this house lies in ruins? Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: (I)Consider your ways. (J)You have sown much, and harvested little. (K)You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who (L)earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: (M)Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that (N)I may take pleasure in it and that (O)I may be glorified, says the Lord. (P)You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, (Q)I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house (R)that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore (S)the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And (T)I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on (U)the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and (V)on all their labors.”

The People Obey the Lord

12 (W)Then (X)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (Y)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all (Z)the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, (AA)“I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 And (AB)the Lord stirred up the spirit of (AC)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of (AD)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all (AE)the remnant of the people. And they came and (AF)worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 (AG)on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.