The Command to Rebuild the Temple
1In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of theLord came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:2Thus says theLord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild theLord’s house.3Then the word of theLord came by the prophet Haggai, saying:4Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?5Now therefore thus says theLord of hosts: Consider how you have fared.6You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes.
7Thus says theLord of hosts: Consider how you have fared.8Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, says theLord.9You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says theLord of hosts. Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses.10Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.11And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and animals, and on all their labors.
12Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of theLord their God, and the words of the prophet Haggai, as theLord their God had sent him; and the people feared theLord.13Then Haggai, the messenger of theLord, spoke to the people with theLord’s message, saying, I am with you, says theLord.14And theLord 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 worked on the house of theLord of hosts, their God,15on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month.
