1 ¹ In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of Yahweh came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, 1 ² "Thus says Yahweh of hosts: This people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of Yahweh." 1 ³ Then the word of Yahweh came by Haggai the prophet, 1 ⁴ "Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 1 ⁵ Now therefore thus says Yahweh of hosts: Consider how you have fared. 1 ⁶ You 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 he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes.

1 ⁷ "Thus says Yahweh of hosts: Consider how you have fared. 1 ⁸ Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may appear in my glory, says Yahweh. 1 ⁹ You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says Yahweh of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while you busy yourselves each with his own house. 1 ¹⁰ Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 1 ¹¹ And I have called for a drought upon the land and the hills, upon the grain, the new wine, the oil, upon what the ground brings forth, upon men and cattle, and upon all their labours."