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 Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of Yahweh came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, saying,
2 The Lord Almighty says this: the people say, “This isn't the proper time to rebuild the Lord's house.”
“Yahweh of hosts says this: These people say, 'It is not time for us to come or to build Yahweh's house.'”
3 Then the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai, saying,
Then the word of Yahweh 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 a time for you yourselves to live in your finished houses, while this house lies ruined?
5 So the Lord Almighty says this: Think about what you're doing!
So now Yahweh of hosts says this: Consider 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 have sown much seed, but bring in little harvest; you eat but do not have enough; you drink but cannot get drunk. You wear clothes but cannot warm yourselves, and the wage earner earns money only to put it into a bag full of holes!
7 The Lord Almighty says this: Think about what you're doing!
Yahweh of hosts says this: “Consider your ways!
8 Go into the hills and bring wood to build the house. This will please me and honor me, says the Lord.
Go up to the mountain, bring timber, and build my house; then I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified!—says Yahweh.”
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 looked for much, but behold! you have brought little home, for I blew it away! Why?” declares Yahweh of hosts. “Because my house lies in ruins, while every one of you is working on 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 withhold the dew from you, and the earth withholds its produce.
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!
I have summoned a drought upon the land and upon the mountains, upon the grain and upon the new wine, upon the oil and upon the harvest of the earth, upon men and upon beasts, and upon all the labor of your 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.
Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, along with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Yahweh their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, because Yahweh their God had sent him and the people feared the face of Yahweh.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, delivered this message from the Lord telling the people, I am with you! says the Lord.
Then Haggai, the messenger of Yahweh, spoke Yahweh's message to the people and said, “I am with you!—this is Yahweh's declaration!”
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.
So Yahweh stirred up the spirit of the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, so that they went and worked on the house of Yahweh 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.
in the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
