1  I am, Haggai, a prophet. I received a message from Yahweh on August 29th, during the second year that Darius was the king of Persia. I told this message to Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Jehozadak’s son Jeshua, the Supreme Priest.

2 Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, told me that the people were saying that it was not yet time for them to rebuild Yahweh’s temple.

3 Then Yahweh gave me this message to tell to the people of Jerusalem: 4 “It is not right [RHQ] for you to be living in luxurious houses while my temple is only ruins! 5  I, Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, say this: Think about what is happening to you. 6 You have planted a lot of seeds, but you are not getting many crops to harvest. You eat food, but you never get enough. You drink wine, but you are still thirsty. You wear clothes, but you do not stay warm. You earn money, but things are very expensive, with the result that it is as though [MET] your money disappears because you are putting it in purses/pockets that have big holes in them.”

7  So this is what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, says: “Think about what is happening to you. 8  Then go up into the hills, cut down trees, and bring timber down here, and rebuild my temple. When you do that, I will be pleased, and I will be honored. 9 You expected to harvest plenty of crops, but there were few crops to harvest. And when you brought the crops home, I caused them to spoil [IDM] quickly. The reason that happened is that my temple is a ruins, while each of you are busy building your own beautiful houses. 10 It is because of what you are doing that rain does not fall from the sky, and as a result there are no crops. 11 I have caused a ◄drought/severe lack of rain► on the hills and on your fields. The result has been that your grain has withered, and your grapevines [MTY] and olive trees [MTY] and all your other crops have dried up. Because of that, you and your cattle do not have enough food, and the hard work that you have done will be for nothing.”

12 Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and all the others of God’s people who were still alive obeyed the message that Yahweh our God had said, and they heeded the message that I had given them, because they knew that Yahweh our God had sent/appointed me. And the people revered Yahweh.

13 Then I, Haggai, who was Yahweh’s messenger, gave this message from Yahweh to the people: “I, Yahweh, declare that I am with you.” 14  So Yahweh motivated Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the other people to want to rebuild the temple of our God, the Commander of the armies of angels. They gathered together and started to work to rebuild it. 15  They started work on September 21st, during the second year that Darius was the king.