Haggai 1
(1) God Wants Israel to Rebuild His Temple
During Darius’s second year as king, on the 1st day of month six, a message from the Existing One came to Haggai (God's spokesperson). The message was for Zerubbabel (Judah’s governor / Shealtiel’s son) and to Joshua (the high priest / Jehozadak’s son). This was God’s message for them:
“You guys say it isn’t time for the Existing One’s house to be rebuilt.”
“Is it time for you to live in your well-built houses while this house lies desolate?”
“Think about what you guys are doing! You plant a ton of crops, but harvest very little. You eat, but there’s never enough to get full on. You drink, but there’s not even enough to get a buzz. You put on clothes, but no one is warm enough. When you earn money, your wages go into a purses that has holes in it.”
“Think about what you’re doing!
“Climb up the mountain, bring some lumber, and rebuild My house, so I can enjoy it and be honored. You look for a lot of things, but they all amount to very little. You bring things home, but then I just blow it all away. Why? Because My house lies in waste, while you guys run off to your own little houses.
“You guys are the reason why the air has been withholding its dew and the ground has been withholding its produce. I called for a drought that’s been affecting the land, mountains, grain, wine, oil, produce, people, livestock, and all your work.”
(12) Israel Starts Construction
Then Zerubbabel (Shealtiel’s son) and Joshua, the high priest (Jehozadak’s son) obeyed. They and rest of the people did what the Existing One, their God, said through Haggai, since the Existing One had sent him as a spokesperson. And the people showed reverence to the Existing One. Then Haggai shared a message from God, telling the people,
“I am with you,” says the Existing One.
So the Existing One stirred up the spirits of Zerubbabel (Judah’s governor), Joshua (the high priest), and the rest of the people, causing them to start building a house for the Existing One, their God. They did that on the 24th day of month 6 during King Darius’s second year as king.
