1In the second year of the reign of king Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, ⁰the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

2The Lord Almighty says this: the people say, “This isn't the proper time to rebuild the Lord's house.”

3Then the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai, saying, ¹

4Is it the proper time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house ²remains a ruin?

5So the Lord Almighty says this: Think about what you're doing!

6You have sown much but harvested little. You eat but you're still hungry. You drink but you're still thirsty. You put on clothes but you're still cold. You work hard to earn money but put it in a bag full of holes. ³

7The Lord Almighty says this: Think about what you're doing!

8Go into the hills and bring wood to build the house. This will please me and honor me, says the Lord.

9You were hoping for so much, but look, it turned out to be so little. Everything you brought home I blew away. And why was that? Because my house remains a ruin while you are preoccupied with building your own houses, declares the Lord Almighty.

10That's why the clouds of heaven refused to send rain, and the earth refused to produce crops.

11I called for a drought on the land, on the hills, on the grain fields, on the vineyards, and on the olive groves—on whatever the earth produces—and on people and livestock, on everything you do!

12Then Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, together with all the remaining people, paid attention to what the Lord said, and to the words of Haggai the prophet that the Lord their God had sent. The people showed reverence before the Lord.

13Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, delivered this message from the Lord telling the people, I am with you! says the Lord.

14The Lord inspired Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remaining people. They came and began work on the house of the Lord Almighty.

15This happened on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of the reign of king Darius.