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The Temple Lies in Ruins

In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day, the word of Yahweh came through[a] Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘This people says, “The time has not come to rebuild the temple of Yahweh.’” [b] And the word of Yahweh came through[c] Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your houses that have been paneled while this house[d] is desolate?” And so then, thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Consider your ways![e] You have sown much but have harvested little. You have eaten without being satisfied; you have drunk without being satiated;[f] you have worn clothes without being warm; the one who earns wages puts it in a pouch with holes.’[g] Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Consider your ways![h] Go up the mountain and bring wood and build the house[i] so that I may be pleased with it and honored,’ says Yahweh. ‘You have looked for much, and look! It came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?’ declares[j] Yahweh of hosts. ‘Because my house is desolate and you are running each to your own house! 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld the dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 I have called for a drought on the land and the hills,[k] on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and wild animals,[l] and on all their labor.’”[m]

12 Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remnant of the people gave heed to the voice of Yahweh their God and to the words of Haggai the prophet, as Yahweh their God had sent him, and the people feared Yahweh.[n] 13 And Haggai the messenger of Yahweh spoke to the people with the message of Yahweh, saying, “‘I am with you’ declares[o] Yahweh.” 14 And Yahweh stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and did the work on the house of Yahweh of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:1 Literally “through the hand of”
  2. Haggai 1:2 Literally “The time is not coming, the time for the house of Yahweh to be built”
  3. Haggai 1:3 Literally “through the hand of”
  4. Haggai 1:4 That is, the temple
  5. Haggai 1:5 Literally “Set your heart on your ways”
  6. Haggai 1:6 Literally “You have drunk, without becoming drunk”
  7. Haggai 1:6 Literally “a pierced pouch”
  8. Haggai 1:7 Literally “Set your heart on your ways”
  9. Haggai 1:8 That is, the temple
  10. Haggai 1:9 Literally “a declaration of ”
  11. Haggai 1:11 Or mountains
  12. Haggai 1:11 Hebrew “animal”
  13. Haggai 1:11 Literally “all the labor of the hands”
  14. Haggai 1:12 Literally “and the people feared from before Yahweh”
  15. Haggai 1:13 Literally “a declaration of”

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

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)

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)’”

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:(K) “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,(L) while this house remains a ruin?(M)

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(N) to your ways. 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.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(S) to your ways. 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. “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)

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:1 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verses 12 and 14