Haggai 1
1 [I am], Haggai, a prophet. I received a message from Yahweh on August 29th, during the second year that Darius was the king [of Persia]. I told this message to Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Jehozadak’s son Jeshua, the Supreme Priest.
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first of the month, came the word of Yahweh, by the hand of Haggai the prophet, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, pasha of Judah, and unto Jehoshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, saying:
2 Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, told [me] that the people were saying that it was not yet time for them to rebuild Yahweh’s temple.
Thus, speaketh Yahweh of hosts, saying, —This people, have said, Not yet hath come the time for the house of Yahweh to be built.
3 Then Yahweh gave me this message [to tell to the people of Jerusalem]:
Therefore hath come the word of Yahweh by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:
4 “It is not right [RHQ] for you to be living in luxurious houses while my temple is only ruins!
Is it a time that, ye yourselves, should be dwelling in your own paneled houses? and, this house, be in ruins?
5 [I, ] Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, say this: Think about what is happening to you.
Now, therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, —Apply your heart unto your own experience—
6 You have planted a lot [of seeds], but you are not getting many [crops] to harvest. You eat [food], but you never get enough. You drink [wine], but you are still thirsty. You wear clothes, but you do not stay warm. You earn money, [but things are very expensive], with the result that [it is as though] [MET] [your money disappears because] you are putting it in purses/pockets that have [big] holes in them.”
Ye have sown much, but have brought in little, have eaten, and not been filled, have drunk, and not been satisfied with drink, have clothed you, and none hath been warm, —and, he that hath hired himself out, hath put his wages into a bag with holes.
7 [So] this is what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, says: “Think about what is happening to you.
Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, —Apply your heart to your own experience:
8 [Then] go up into the hills, [cut down trees, ] and bring timber [down here], and rebuild my temple. When you do that, I will be pleased, and I will be honored.
Ascend the mountain—and bring in wood and build the house, —that I may be pleased therewith and get myself glory, saith Yahweh.
9 You expected [to harvest] plenty [of crops], but there were few [crops to harvest]. And when you brought the crops home, I caused them to spoil [IDM] quickly. The reason [that happened is that] my temple is a ruins, while each of you are busy building your own [beautiful] houses.
When ye looked for much, then lo! it came to little, when ye brought it home, then I did blow into it, — Because of what? Demandeth Yahweh of hosts, Because of my house, the which is in ruins, while ye keep running every man to his own house.
10 It is because of what you [are doing] that rain does not fall from the sky, and [as a result] there are no crops.
Wherefore—on your account, have the heavens, held back, dew, — and, the earth, held back her fruit;
11 I have caused a (drought/severe lack of rain) on the hills and on your fields. The result has been that your grain [has withered], and your grapevines [MTY] and olive trees [MTY] and all your [other] crops have dried up. [Because of that, ] you and your cattle [do not have enough food], and the hard work that you have done will be for nothing.”
And I have called for drought, upon the land and upon the mountains, and upon the corn and upon the new wine and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground, bringeth forth, —and upon man, and upon beast, and upon all the labour of the hands.
12 Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and all the others of God’s people who were still alive obeyed the message that Yahweh our God had said, and they heeded the message that I had given them, because [they knew that] Yahweh our God had sent/appointed me. And the people revered Yahweh.
Then hearkened Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jehoshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and all the remnant of the people, unto the voice of Yahweh their God, and unto the words of Haggai the prophet, as Yahweh their God, had sent him, —and the people, stood in awe, before Yahweh.
13 Then [I], Haggai, who was Yahweh’s messenger, gave this message from Yahweh to the people: “I, Yahweh, declare that I am with you.”
Then spake Haggai the messenger of Yahweh, in the message of Yahweh, to the people saying, —I, am with you, Declareth Yahweh.
14 [So] Yahweh motivated Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the other people to want to rebuild the temple of our God, the Commander of the armies of angels. They gathered together and started to work to rebuild it.
Thus did Yahweh, stir up—the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, pasha of Judah, and the spirit of Jehoshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, —and they came in and did service in the house of Yahweh of hosts their God:
15 [They started work] on September 21st, during the second year that Darius was the king.
on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, —in the second year of Darius the king.
