בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשִּׁשִּׁי בְּיוֹם אֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָיָה דְבַר־ה' בְּיַד־חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל פַּחַת יְהוּדָה ואֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל לֵאמֹר׃

In the second year of the reign of Darius the king, in the sixth month, Elul, on the first of the month, the word of the Lord was by means of Haggai the prophet, one of the most important prophets of the early Second Temple period, as mentioned in the book of Ezra. The word of the Lord was directed to Zerubavel son of She’altiel, who was appointed governor of Judah. If Zerubavel was indeed the son of She’altiel and not merely a descendant, then he was the grandson of King Yekhonya and the last scion of the Davidic dynasty. The hope for the continuation of the royal dynasty rested upon Zerubavel. And alongside Zerubavel, the prophet directed his words to Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak, the High Priest, the second highest authority. The prophecy was directed toward the two leaders of those who returned from the Babylonian exile, saying:

כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר הָעָם הַזֶּה אָמְרוּ לֹא עֶת־בֹּא עֶת־בֵּית ה' לְהִבָּנוֹת

So stated the Lord of hosts, saying: This people have said: The time has not yet come, the time for the House of the Lord to be rebuilt. Although a new king has ascended the throne, such that it is possible that royal decrees issued by previous kings are no longer in effect, the people are afraid to act against the earlier injunction to cease construction of the Temple.

וַיְהִי דְּבַר־ה' בְּיַד־חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר

The word of the Lord was by means of Haggai the prophet, saying:

הַעֵת לָכֶם אַתֶּם לָשֶׁבֶת בְּבָתֵּיכֶם סְפוּנִים וְהַבַּיִת הַזֶּה חָרֵב!

God responds to the claim of the people: Is it a time for you to live sheltered in your houses, and this House is destroyed? How can you sit in your comfortable homes while the House of God remains in ruins?

וְעַתָּה כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת שִׂימוּ לְבַבְכֶם עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶם

Therefore, so said the Lord of hosts: Direct your attention to your ways. Pay attention to the condition you are in:

זְרַעְתֶּם הַרְבֵּה וְהָבֵא מְעָט אָכוֹל וְאֵין־לְשָׂבְעָה שָׁתוֹ וְאֵין־לְשָׁכְרָה לָבוֹשׁ וְאֵין לְחֹם לוֹ וְהַמִּשְׂתַּכֵּר מִשְׂתַּכֵּר אֶל־צְרוֹר נָקוּב

Until now, you sowed much, and bring in little produce to your homes, eating, but not to satisfaction; you are not satiated, drinking, but not to refreshment; your thirst is not quenched, dressing, but no warmth for him; your clothing does not keep you warm, and the wage earner earns as though putting his money into a perforated purse; any money he earns is soon lost. In short, you live in dire conditions.

כֹּה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת שִׂימוּ לְבַבְכֶם עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶם

So said the Lord of hosts: Direct your attention to your ways. You must do all that you can to rebuild the House of God.

עֲלוּ הָהָר וַהֲבֵאתֶם עֵץ וּבְנוּ הַבָּיִת וְאֶרְצֶה־בּוֹ וְאֶכָּבְדָ אָמַר ה'

If you are unable to construct a splendid building from stone, then go up the mountain surrounding Jerusalem, and bring wood, and build the House from wood; and I will accept it, and I will be honored; that is, it will be My honor to rest My presence in such a Temple, said the Lord.

פָּנֹה אֶל־הַרְבֵּה וְהִנֵּה לִמְעָט וַהֲבֵאתֶם הַבַּיִת וְנָפַחְתִּי בוֹ יַעַן מֶה נְאֻם ה' צְבָאוֹת יַעַן בֵּיתִי אֲשֶׁר־הוּא חָרֵב וְאַתֶּם רָצִים אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ

As of now it would appear that you are turning with the hope to receive much, and behold, all your efforts were for little. A curse fell upon all your handiwork. You brought it, your crop, home, and I blew upon it, and it dispersed like chaff in the wind. Why? This is the utterance of the Lord of hosts. Because of My House that is destroyed, and as for you, each man runs to his house.

עַל־כֵּן עֲלֵיכֶם כָּלְאוּ שָׁמַיִם מִטָּל וְהָאָרֶץ כָּלְאָה יְבוּלָהּ

Therefore, because of your inaction, the heavens above you withheld from providing dew, and the earth has withheld its produce from you.

וָאֶקְרָא חֹרֶב עַל־הָאָרֶץ וְעַל־הֶהָרִים וְעַל־הַדָּגָן וְעַל־הַתִּירוֹשׁ וְעַל־הַיִּצְהָר וְעַל אֲשֶׁר תּוֹצִיא הָאֲדָמָה וְעַל־הָאָדָם וְעַל־הַבְּהֵמָה וְעַל כָּל־יְגִיעַ כַּפָּיִם

I called a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the grain, and upon the wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground produces, and upon man, upon the people’s health and well-being, and upon animal and what it produces, and upon all the toil of hands. Nothing is blessed or thriving, because you do not act appropriately.

וַיִּשְׁמַע זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵל וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְכֹל שְׁאֵרִית הָעָם בְּקוֹל ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְעַל דִּבְרֵי חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ ה' אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ הָעָם מִפְּנֵי ה'

Zerubavel son of She’altiel and Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak, the High Priest and all the remnant of the people heeded the voice of the Lord their God, and listened to, or because of, the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God sent him, and the people feared before the Lord. Unlike in the era of the First Temple, during this period the leaders and the people respected the word of God as transmitted via His prophet, and they accepted the prophet’s instructions.

וַיֹּאמֶר חַגַּי מַלְאַךְ ה'בְּמַלְאֲכוּת ה' לָעָם לֵאמֹר אֲנִי אִתְּכֶם נְאֻם־ה'

Haggai the messenger of the Lord, on mission from the Lord, spoke to the people, saying: I am with you; this is the utterance of the Lord.

וַיָּעַר ה' אֶת־רוּחַ זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵל פַּחַת יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־רוּחַ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְאֶת־רוּחַ כֹּל שְׁאֵרִית הָעָם וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ מְלָאכָה בְּבֵית־ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם

The Lord roused the spirit of Zerubavel son of She’altiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak, the High Priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and performed labor for the House of the Lord of hosts, their God. The men set out to work; as it was the end of summer, they could work outdoors with relative ease.

בְּיוֹם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ בַּשִּׁשִּׁי בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ

In practice, work started on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, Elul, in the second year of the reign of Darius the king. Less than a month after first hearing Haggai’s prophecy, the people already organized themselves and began to work.