Haggai 1
1 In the second year of the reign of king Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
In the second year of king Darius, 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 Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jesus the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying:
2 The Lord Almighty says this: the people say, “This isn't the proper time to rebuild the Lord's house.”
Thus says the Lord of hosts, saying: This people claims that the time has not yet arrived for building the house of the Lord.
3 Then the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai, saying,
But the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:
4 Is it the proper time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house remains a ruin?
Is it time for you to dwell in paneled houses, while this house is deserted?
5 So the Lord Almighty says this: Think about what you're doing!
And now, thus says the Lord of hosts: Set your hearts upon your ways.
6 You have sown much but harvested little. You eat but you're still hungry. You drink but you're still thirsty. You put on clothes but you're still cold. You work hard to earn money but put it in a bag full of holes.
You sowed much and have brought in little. You consumed and have not been satisfied. You drank and have not been inebriated. You covered yourselves and have not been warmed. And whoever gathered wages, has put them in a bag with holes.
7 The Lord Almighty says this: Think about what you're doing!
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Set your hearts upon your ways.
8 Go into the hills and bring wood to build the house. This will please me and honor me, says the Lord.
Ascend to the mountain, bring wood and build the house, and it shall be acceptable to me, and I shall be glorified, says the Lord.
9 You were hoping for so much, but look, it turned out to be so little. Everything you brought home I blew away. And why was that? Because my house remains a ruin while you are preoccupied with building your own houses, declares the Lord Almighty.
You have looked for more, and behold, it became less, and you brought it home, and I blew it away. What is the cause of this, says the Lord of hosts? It is because my house is desolate, yet you have hurried, each one to his own house.
10 That's why the clouds of heaven refused to send rain, and the earth refused to produce crops.
Because of this, the heavens over you have been prohibited from giving dew, and the earth has been prohibited from giving her sprouts.
11 I called for a drought on the land, on the hills, on the grain fields, on the vineyards, and on the olive groves—on whatever the earth produces—and on people and livestock, on everything you do!
And I called a drought over the land, and over the mountains, and over the wheat, and over the wine, and over the oil, and whatever the soil would bring forth, and over men, and over beasts of burden, and over all the labor of hands.
12 Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, together with all the remaining people, paid attention to what the Lord said, and to the words of Haggai the prophet that the Lord their God had sent. The people showed reverence before the Lord.
And Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jesus the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remnant of the people heeded the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, just as the Lord their God sent him to them. And the people were fearful before the face of the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, delivered this message from the Lord telling the people, I am with you! says the Lord.
And Haggai, a messenger of the Lord among messengers of the Lord, spoke to the people, saying: the Lord says, “I am with you.”
14 The Lord inspired Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remaining people. They came and began work on the house of the Lord Almighty.
And the Lord stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Jesus the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the remainder of all the people. And they entered and performed work in the house of the Lord of hosts their God.
15 This happened on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of the reign of king Darius.
On the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of king Darius, they began.
