Haggai's Commission
The exiles have returned but left our Father’s house in ruins while paneling their own. Haggai calls them to rebuild—and grounds the whole appeal in one repeated promise: “I am with you.”
1 1In King Darius's second year, in the sixth month, on the first day, the word of our Father came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
2This is what the Father of heaven's armies says: "These people say it isn't yet time to rebuild the house of our Father."
3Then the word of our Father came through Haggai the prophet:
4"Should you be living in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? 5So then, this is what the Father of heaven's armies says: "Consider carefully how you have lived. 6You have sown much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but no one keeps warm. And the one who earns wages earns them only to put them into a purse with holes.
7This is what the Father of heaven's armies says: "Consider carefully how you have lived. 8Go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says our Father. 9"You expected much, but it amounted to so little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the Father of heaven's armies. "Because of my house, which still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11I called for a drought on the fields and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, on whatever the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands."
12Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and all the remnant of the people obeyed our Father's voice and the words of Haggai the prophet, since our Father had sent Haggai; and the people feared before our Father.
13Then Haggai, our Father's messenger, gave the people this message: "I am with you, declares our Father." a a v13 When the people turn back to the Father's work, he answers with the heart of every father — "I am with you." His presence is the reward.
14So our Father stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They came and worked on the house of the Father of heaven's armies, 15on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.
