Haggai 1

1. In the second year of Daryavesh the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the following word of Adonai came through Hagai the prophet to Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el, governor of Y’hudah, and to Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol:

2. “Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘This people is saying that now isn’t the time — the time hasn’t yet arrived for Adonai’s house to be rebuilt.’”

3. Then this word of Adonai came through Hagai the prophet:

4. “So is now the time for you to be living in your own paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?

5. Therefore here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: 5 ‘Think about your life!

6. You sow much but bring in little; 6 you eat but aren’t satisfied; 6 you drink but never have enough; 6 you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; 6 and he who works for a living earns wages 6 that are put in a bag full of holes.’”

7. “Here is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘Think about your life!

8. Go up into the hills, get wood, and rebuild the house. I will be pleased with that, and then I will be glorified,’ says Adonai.

9. ‘You looked for much, but it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?’ asks Adonai-Tzva’ot. ‘Because my house lies in ruins, while every one of you runs to take care of his own house.

10. This is why the sky above you has withheld the dew, so that there is none, and the land withholds its yield.

11. In fact, I called for a drought on the land and on the hills, on the grain, the wine and the olive oil, on what the ground brings up, on men, animals and on all that hands produce.’”

12. Then Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el and Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, with all the rest of the people, paid attention to what Adonai their God had said and to the words of Hagai the prophet; since Adonai their God had sent him; and the people were filled with fear in the presence of Adonai.

13. Hagai the messenger of Adonai conveyed this message of Adonai to the people: “‘I am with you,’ says Adonai.”

14. Adonai roused the spirit of Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el, governor of Y’hudah, and the spirit of Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, and the spirits of all the rest of the people; so that they came and began to work on the house of Adonai-Tzva’ot their God.

15. This was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year of Daryavesh the king.