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Consider Your Situation[a]

Chapter 1

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord was communicated by the prophet Haggai to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘This people says that the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’ ” Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is this a time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?”

Now the Lord of hosts has this to say:
    Reflect on your way of life.
You have sown much but harvested little;
    you have eaten, but never enough to satisfy you.
You drink, but never enough to cheer you;
    you are clothed, but never experience warmth.
And the one who earns wages
    puts them into a bag with a hole in it.

Therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts:

    Consider carefully how you have fared.
Go up into the hill country,
    collect timber, and build the house
so that I may take pleasure in it
    and manifest my glory,
    says the Lord.
You expected much,
    but it proved to be little.
When you brought in the harvest,
    I blew it away.
And why did I do this?
    asks the Lord of hosts.
Because my house lies in ruins,
    while each of you is concerned
    only about your own house.
10 Therefore, the heavens have withheld their rain
    and the earth has withheld its crops.
11 And I have called for a drought
    to afflict the land and the mountains,
the grain, the new wine, and the oil,
    and everything that the soil produces,
and to afflict, as well, men and animals,
    and all the products of their labor.

12 Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people listened to the voice of the Lord, their God, and to the words of the prophet Haggai that the Lord, their God, had sent him to deliver. As a result, the people were filled with fear because of the Lord.

13 Thereupon Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, proclaimed to the people the Lord’s message: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. 14 Then the Lord stirred up the spirit of the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and the spirit of the high priest Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

Courage, I Am with You[b]

Chapter 2

In the second year of King Darius,

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:1 The oracle dates from August of 520 B.C., and should logically end with a passage to be found further on in Hag 2:15-19.
  2. Haggai 1:15 The second, and rather modest temple, finished in 515 B.C., will later be replaced by a much more grandiose structure, due to the initiative of King Herod. Christ himself will admire its magnificence (Mk 13:1), but he will also proclaim that he himself is the true temple in which all human beings will be brought together in unity (Jn 4:20-21). Haggai foretells the new order which Jesus will then bring to pass.

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

In the second year of King Darius,(A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came 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)

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

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

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(N) to your ways. 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.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(S) to your ways. 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 the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.(W) What you brought home, I blew(X) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “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 the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared(AK) the Lord.

13 Then Haggai,(AL) the Lord’s messenger,(AM) gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with(AN) you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred 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 the Lord Almighty, 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)

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:1 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verses 12 and 14