You have planted much, but you harvest little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have enough to be intoxicated; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns wages earns them just to put them in a bag with holes in it [because God has withheld His blessing].”

I sent a drought on the land, on the mountains, on your grain, on your new wines, on your oil on everything the ground produces on men, on livestock, and on everything you do!'"

'But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' {declares} Yahweh. 'Take courage, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and take courage, all the people of the land,' {declares} Yahweh. 'Do the work, because I [am] with you,' {declares} Yahweh 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.'