Haggai 1

New International Version

A Call to Build the House of theLord

1 In the second year of King Darius,^(A)on the first day of the sixth month, the word of theLordcame through the prophet Haggai^(B)to Zerubbabel^(C)son of Shealtiel, governor^(D)of Judah, and to Joshua^(E)son of Jozadak,^[a](F)the high priest:^(G)

² This is what theLordAlmighty^(H)says: “These people^(I)say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild theLord’s house.^(J)’”

³ Then the word of theLordcame through the prophet Haggai:^(K)4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,^(L)while this house remains a ruin?^(M)”

⁵ Now this is what theLordAlmighty says: “Give careful thought^(N)to your ways.⁶ You have planted much, but harvested little.^(O)You eat, but never have enough.^(P)You drink, but never have your fill.^(Q)You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,^(R)only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

⁷ This is what theLordAlmighty says: “Give careful thought^(S)to your ways.⁸ Go up into the mountains and bring down timber^(T)and build my house, so that I may take pleasure^(U)in it and be honored,^(V)” says theLord.⁹ “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.^(W)What you brought home, I blew^(X)away. Why?” declares theLordAlmighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,^(Y)while each of you is busy with your own house.¹⁰ Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld^(Z)their dew^(AA)and the earth its crops.^(AB)11 I called for a drought^(AC)on the fields and the mountains,^(AD)on the grain, the new wine,^(AE)the olive oil^(AF)and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.^(AG)”

¹² Then Zerubbabel^(AH)son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant^(AI)of the people obeyed^(AJ)the voice of theLordtheir God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because theLordtheir God had sent him. And the people feared^(AK)theLord.

¹³ Then Haggai,^(AL)theLord’s messenger,^(AM)gave this message of theLordto the people: “I am with^(AN)you,” declares theLord.¹⁴ So theLordstirred up^(AO)the spirit of Zerubbabel^(AP)son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,^(AQ)the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant^(AR)of the people. They came and began to work on the house of theLordAlmighty, their God,¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.^(AS)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,^(AT)