Haggai 1

¹ In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of Yahweh wasaddressed through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel governor of Judah and to Joshua son ofJehozadak the high priest as fol ows,

² 'Yahweh Sabaoth says this, "This people says: The time has not yet come to rebuild the Temple ofYahweh." '

³ (And the word of Yahweh was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows,)

⁴ 'Is this a time for you to live in your panel ed houses, when this House lies in ruins?

⁵ So now, Yahweh Sabaoth says this, "Think careful y about your behaviour.

⁶ You have sown much and harvested little; you eat but never have enough, drink but never have yourfill, put on clothes but feel no warmth. The wage-earner gets his wages only to put them in a bag with a hole init."

⁷ Yahweh Sabaoth says this, "Think careful y about your behaviour.

⁸ Go up into the hills, fetch timber and rebuild the House; and I shal take pleasure in it and manifest myglory there -- Yahweh says.

⁹ The abundance you expected proved to be little. When you brought the harvest in, I blasted it. Andwhy? - Yahweh Sabaoth declares. Because while my House lies in ruins, each of you is busy with his ownhouse.

¹⁰ That is why the sky has withheld the rain and the earth withheld its yield.

¹¹ I have cal ed down drought on land and hil s, on grain, on new wine, on olive oil and on al the produceof the ground, on humans and animals and al your labours." '

¹² Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest and the entire remnant of thepeople, paid attention to the voice of Yahweh their God and to the words of the prophet Haggai, which Yahwehtheir God had sent him to deliver. And the people were fil ed with fear before Yahweh.

¹³ Haggai, the messenger of Yahweh, then passed on Yahweh's message to the people, 'I am with you-- declares Yahweh.'

¹⁴ And Yahweh roused the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel governor of Judah, the spirit of Joshuason of Jehozadak the high priest and the spirit of the entire remnant of the people; they came and set to work inthe Temple of Yahweh Sabaoth, their God.

¹⁵ This was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. In the second year of King Darius,