² then ^(A)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and ^(B)the prophets of God were with them supporting them.

Haggai Begins Temple Building

1 In the ^(A)second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet ^(B)Haggai to ^(C)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, ^(D)governor of Judah, and to ^(E)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

⁶ Then he ^[a]said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to ^(A)Zerubbabel saying, ‘^(B)Not by might nor by power, but by My ^(C)Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. ⁷ ‘What are you, O great ^(D)mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with ^(E)shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

⁸ Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁹ “The hands of Zerubbabel have ^(F)laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will ^(G)finish it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to ^[b]you. ¹⁰ For who has despised the day of ^(H)small things? ^[c]But these ^(I)seven will be glad when they see the ^[d](J)plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—these are the ^(K)eyes of the Lord which ^(L)range to and fro throughout the earth.”