The Bible in Basic English BBE
Good News Translation GNT
1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, ruler of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
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During the second year that Darius was emperor of Persia, on the first day of the sixth month, the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai. The message was for the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and for the High Priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak.
2 These are the words of the Lord of armies: These people say, The time has not come for building the Lord's house.
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The Lord Almighty said to Haggai, "These people say that this is not the right time to rebuild the Temple."
3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
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The Lord then gave this message to the people through the prophet Haggai:
4 Is it a time for you to be living in roofed houses while this house is a waste?
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"My people, why should you be living in well-built houses while my Temple lies in ruins?
5 For this cause the Lord of armies has said, Give thought to your ways.
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Don't you see what is happening to you?
6 Much has been planted, but little got in; you take food, but have not enough; you take drink, but are not full; you are clothed, but no one is warm; and he who gets payment for his work, gets it to put it into a bag full of holes.
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You have planted much grain, but have harvested very little. You have food to eat, but not enough to make you full. You have wine to drink, but not enough to get drunk on! You have clothing, but not enough to keep you warm. And workers cannot earn enough to live on.
7 This is what the Lord of armies has said: Give thought to your ways.
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Can't you see why this has happened?
8 Go up to the hills and get wood and put up the house; and I will take pleasure in it and be honoured, says the Lord.
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Now go up into the hills, get lumber, and rebuild the Temple; then I will be pleased and will be worshiped as I should be.
9 You were looking for much, and it came to little; and when you got it into your house, I took it away with a breath. Why? says the Lord of armies. Because of my house which is a waste, while every man takes care of the house which is his.
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"You hoped for large harvests, but they turned out to be small. And when you brought the harvest home, I blew it away. Why did I do that? Because my Temple lies in ruins while every one of you is busy working on your own house.
10 For this cause the heaven over you is kept from giving dew, and the earth from giving her fruit.
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That is why there is no rain and nothing can grow.
11 And by my order no rain came on the land or on the mountains or the grain or the wine or the oil or the produce of the earth or on men or cattle or on any work of man's hands.
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I have brought drought on the land - on its hills, grainfields, vineyards, and olive orchards - on every crop the ground produces, on people and animals, on everything you try to grow."
12 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the rest of the people, gave ear to the voice of the Lord their God and to the words of Haggai the prophet, because the Lord their God had sent him, and the people were in fear before the Lord.
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Then Zerubbabel and Joshua and all the people who had returned from the exile in Babylonia, did what the Lord their God told them to do. They were afraid and obeyed the prophet Haggai, the Lord's messenger.
13 Then Haggai, whom the Lord had sent to give his words to the people, said, I am with you, says the Lord.
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Then Haggai gave the Lord's message to the people: "I will be with you - that is my promise."
14 And the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, ruler of Judah, was moved by the Lord, as was the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the rest of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the Lord of armies, their God.
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The Lord inspired everyone to work on the Temple: Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah; Joshua, the High Priest, and all the people who had returned from the exile. They began working on the Temple of the Lord Almighty, their God,
15 On the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
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on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was emperor.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.