Haggai 1
GOD’S WORD Translation
A Call to Rebuild the Lord’s House
1 On the first day of the sixth month in Darius’ second year as king, the Lord spoke his word through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel and was governor of Judah) and to the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak). He said, 2 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: These people say it’s not the right time to rebuild the house of the Lord.”
3 Then the Lord spoke his word through the prophet Haggai. He said, 4 “Is it time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, this is what the Lord of Armies says: Carefully consider your ways! 6 You planted a lot, but you harvested little. You eat, but you’re never full. You drink, but you’re still thirsty.[a] You wear clothing, but you never have enough to keep you warm. You spend money as fast as you earn it. 7 This is what the Lord of Armies says: Carefully consider your ways!
8 “Go to the mountains, get lumber, and build the house. I will be pleased with it, and I will be honored,” declares the Lord.
9 “You expected a lot, but you received a little. When you bring something home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of Armies. “It’s because my house lies in ruins while each of you is busy working on your own house. 10 It is because of you that the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 I called for a drought on the land, the hills, and on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and whatever the ground produces, on humans and animals, and on all your hard work.”
The Work on the House Resumes
12 Then Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel), the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon obeyed the Lord their God. They also obeyed the words of the prophet Haggai because the Lord their God had sent him and because the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord who had received the Lord’s message, said to the people, “I am with you, declares the Lord.”
14 The Lord inspired them ⌞to rebuild his house⌟. So Zerubbabel (who was the son of Shealtiel and was governor of Judah), the chief priest Joshua (who was the son of Jehozadak), and the faithful few who returned from Babylon began working on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God. 15 They began on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in Darius’ second year as king.
Footnotes
- 1:6 Or “You have ⌞wine⌟ to drink but not enough to become drunk.”
Haggai 1
The Voice
1 On the first day of the sixth month, during the second year King Darius reigned over the Persian Empire, the prophet named Haggai gave a message from the Eternal One to men named Zerubbabel (Shealtiel’s son and the Jewish governor of Judah) and Joshua (Jehozadak’s son and the high priest). 2 This is what the Eternal, the Commander of heavenly armies who is more powerful even than the king, had to say.
Eternal One: These people living in Jerusalem say it’s not yet the right time for them to rebuild the temple, the place where the Eternal One dwells.
3 The prophet Haggai gave a message from the Eternal.
Eternal One: 4 Do you think the time is right for you to live in secure and lavishly covered homes when My house still lies in a heap of rubble? 5 Think very carefully about your choices. 6 You have planted a large crop, but your harvest is small. You have food to eat, but it is never enough to satisfy. You have something to drink, but you are never filled. You have clothes to wear, but they are not enough to keep you warm. You earn a salary, but the money runs out quickly, as if there are holes in your pocket.
7 Think very carefully about your choices. 8 Go up to the mountains, and bring down trees to make lumber and build My house. Do this so I may take pleasure in it and be honored by it.
9 You expected to be well rewarded for all your hard work. But as you see, you are getting back almost nothing. As you have brought in profits, I’ve blown them away. Why? I, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies, will tell you why: My house has remained in ruins while each of you has been chasing after your own concerns. 10 This is why heaven above you has held back the dew[a] and the earth has refused to produce crops. 11 I caused a drought in both the fields and the hills. All the crops you tried to produce have been affected, including your grain, your new wine, and your oil. All have been damaged: humanity, cattle, and everything you tried to produce yourself.
12 Then Zerubbabel (Shealtiel’s son), Joshua (Jehozadak’s son and the high priest), and all those who had returned obeyed the voice of the Eternal, their True God. They took seriously the message brought by the prophet Haggai, believing he had been sent by the Eternal One, whom they worshiped and feared.
Haggai says the fields are not producing food because the temple has not been rebuilt. This understanding correlates God’s divine presence with the fertility of the land. The notion of divine control of natural events is common to the ancient world, but Haggai understands that acts of sacrifice or external displays of intrinsic beliefs cannot renew the land; transformative change brought on by the Lord’s presence can. God wants His people to experience real spiritual changes that are reflected in the ways they interact with each other and the rest of the world.
13-15 On the 24th day of that 6th month, which was King Darius’ 2nd year, Haggai, the messenger of the Eternal One, received this new message from the Eternal and shared it with the people.
Eternal One: I am with you.
And the Eternal One rallied the spirit of Zerubbabel (Shealtiel’s son and Judah’s governor), the spirit of Joshua (Jehozadak’s son and the high priest), and the spirit of all those who had returned to Jerusalem so that they came together and began work on the house of their God, the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies.
Footnotes
- 1:10 Hebrew manuscripts read, “from dew.”
Haggai 1
New American Standard Bible
Haggai Begins Temple Building
1 In the (A)second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet (B)Haggai to (C)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (D)governor of Judah, and to (E)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord of armies [a]says: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”’” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remains (F)desolate?” 5 Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “[b]Consider your ways! 6 You have (G)sown much, only to [c]harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for [d]anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.”
7 The Lord of armies says this: “[e]Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the [f]mountains, bring wood, and (H)rebuild the [g]temple, that I may be (I)pleased with it and be (J)honored,” says the Lord. 9 “(K)You [h]start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I (L)blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies. “It is because of My house which (M)remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the (N)sky has withheld [i]its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I called for a (O)drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on (P)mankind, on cattle, and on (Q)all the products of the labor of [j]your hands.”
12 Then (R)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (S)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, (T)obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, just as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people [k](U)showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the (V)messenger of the Lord, spoke [l]by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, “‘(W)I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of (X)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (Y)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the (Z)remnant of the people; and they came and (AA)worked on the house of the Lord of armies, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.
Footnotes
- Haggai 1:2 Lit says, saying
- Haggai 1:5 Lit Set your heart on
- Haggai 1:6 Lit bring in
- Haggai 1:6 Lit him
- Haggai 1:7 Lit Set your heart on
- Haggai 1:8 Lit mountain
- Haggai 1:8 Lit house
- Haggai 1:9 Lit turn to much
- Haggai 1:10 Lit from dew
- Haggai 1:11 Lit palms
- Haggai 1:12 Lit feared before
- Haggai 1:13 Or with the commissioned message
Hageo 1
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Exhortación a la reedificación del templo
1 El año segundo del rey Darío(A), en el mes sexto, el día primero del mes, vino la palabra del Señor por medio del profeta Hageo(B) a Zorobabel, hijo de Salatiel(C), gobernador(D) de Judá, y al sumo sacerdote Josué, hijo de Josadac(E): 2 «Así dice el Señor de los ejércitos: “Este pueblo dice: ‘No ha llegado el tiempo, el tiempo de que la casa del Señor sea reedificada’”». 3 Entonces vino la palabra del Señor por medio del profeta Hageo: 4 «¿Es acaso tiempo para que ustedes habiten en sus casas artesonadas mientras esta casa está desolada(F)?».
5 Ahora pues, así dice el Señor de los ejércitos: «¡Consideren bien sus caminos! 6 Siembran mucho, pero recogen poco(G); comen, pero no hay suficiente para que se sacien; beben, pero no hay suficiente para que se embriaguen; se visten, pero nadie se calienta; y el que recibe salario, recibe salario en bolsa rota».
7 Así dice el Señor de los ejércitos: «¡Consideren bien sus caminos! 8 Suban al monte, traigan madera y reedifiquen el templo(H), para que me agrade de él y Yo sea glorificado(I)», dice el Señor. 9 «Esperan mucho, pero hay poco(J); y lo que traen a casa, Yo lo aviento(K). ¿Por qué?», declara el Señor de los ejércitos. «Por causa de Mi casa que está desolada(L), mientras cada uno de ustedes corre a su casa.
10 »Por tanto, por causa de ustedes, los cielos han retenido su rocío y la tierra ha retenido su fruto(M). 11 Llamé a la sequía sobre la tierra, sobre los montes, sobre el trigo, sobre el vino nuevo, sobre el aceite, sobre lo que produce la tierra, sobre los hombres, sobre el ganado(N) y sobre todo el trabajo de sus manos(O)».
12 Entonces Zorobabel, hijo de Salatiel(P), el sumo sacerdote Josué, hijo de Josadac(Q), y todo el remanente del pueblo, obedecieron la voz del Señor su Dios(R) y las palabras del profeta Hageo, como el Señor su Dios le había mandado. Y temió el pueblo delante del Señor(S). 13 Entonces Hageo, mensajero del Señor, por mandato[a](T) del Señor, habló al pueblo: «Yo estoy con ustedes», declara el Señor(U). 14 Y el Señor despertó el espíritu de Zorobabel, hijo de Salatiel(V), gobernador de Judá, y el espíritu del sumo sacerdote Josué, hijo de Josadac(W), y el espíritu de todo el remanente del pueblo. Así que vinieron y comenzaron la obra en la casa del Señor de los ejércitos, su Dios(X), 15 el día veinticuatro del mes sexto, en el año segundo del rey Darío.
Footnotes
- Hageo 1:13 Lit. mensaje.
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