In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying,

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

Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

Is it a time for you to be living in roofed houses while this house is a waste?

You have planted much
but harvested little.
You eat
but never have enough to be satisfied.
You drink
but never have enough to become drunk.
You put on clothes
but never have enough to get warm.
The wage earner puts his wages
into a bag with a hole in it.”

"Moreover, the Lord who rules over all says: 'Pay close attention to these things also.

Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified, saith the LORD.

And by my order no rain came on the land or on the mountains or the grain or the wine or the oil or the produce of the earth or on men or cattle or on any work of man's hands.

Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke by the commission of the Lord to the people saying, “‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord.”

And the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, ruler of Judah, was moved by the Lord, as was the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the rest of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of armies, their God.

In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,

Who among you survivors saw the former splendor of this temple? How does it look to you now? Isn't it nothing by comparison?

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

'according to {the promise} that {I covenanted} with you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit {is with you}; do not be afraid.'

I will shake all nations, and the One desired by all nations will come. Then I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

The silver and gold will be mine,' says the Lord who rules over all.

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

The Priests gave answer and said, "Yea, it shall be unclean." Then Haggai answered, and said, "Even so is this people and this nation before me, sayeth the LORD: and so are all the works of their hands, yea and all that they offer, is unclean.

Pay attention from now on to how things used to be before one stone had been laid upon another in the Temple of the LORD.

So long were things thus, that, on coming unto a heap of twenty, then was it found to be ten, - on coming unto the vat to draw off fifty measures, then were there found to be twenty.

"Pay attention from now on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, when the foundation of the LORD's Temple was laid. Pay attention!

And the word of Jehovah will be the second time to Haggai in the twenty and fourth to the month, saying,

And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

In that day, says the Lord of armies, I will take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you as a jewelled ring: for I have taken you to be mine, says the Lord of armies.