¹ IN THE second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of HaShem by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying:

² 'Thus speaketh HaShem of hosts, saying: This people say: The time is not come, the time that HaShem'S house should be built.'

³ Then came the word of HaShem by Haggai the prophet, saying:

⁴ 'Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your cieled houses, while this house lieth waste?

⁵ Now therefore thus saith HaShem of hosts: Consider your ways.

⁶ Ye have sown much, and brought in little, ye eat, but ye have not enough, ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink, ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages for a bag with holes.

⁷ Thus saith HaShem of hosts: Consider your ways.

⁸ Go up to the hill-country, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith HaShem.

⁹ Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith HaShem of hosts. Because of My house that lieth waste, while ye run every man for his own house.

¹⁰ Therefore over you the heaven hath kept back, so that there is no dew, and the earth hath kept back her produce.

¹¹ And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.'

¹² Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, hearkened unto the voice of HaShem their G-d, and unto the words of Haggai the prophet, as HaShem their G-d had sent him; and the people did fear before HaShem.

¹³ Then spoke Haggai HaShem'S messenger in HaShem'S message unto the people, saying: 'I am with you, saith HaShem.'

¹⁴ And HaShem stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of HaShem of hosts, their G-d,

¹⁵ in the four and twentieth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.