Haggai Tells His People to Rebuild the Lord’s Temple
1A message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet. Haggai gave it to Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zerubbabel was governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Joshua was high priest and the son of Jozadak. The message came on the first day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Here is what Haggai said.
2Here is what the Lord who rules over all says. “The people of Judah say, ‘It’s not yet time to rebuild the Lord’s temple.’ ”
3So the message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 4“My temple is still destroyed. But you are living in your houses that have beautiful wooden walls.”
5The Lord who rules over all says, “Think carefully about how you are living. 6You have planted many seeds. But the crops you have gathered are small. So you eat. But you never have enough. You drink. But you are never full. You put on your clothes. But you are not warm. You earn your pay. But it will not buy everything you need.”
7He continues, “Think carefully about how you are living. 8Go up into the mountains. Bring logs down. Use them to rebuild the temple, my house. Then I will enjoy it. And you will honor me,” says the Lord. 9“You expected a lot. But you can see what a small amount it turned out to be. I blew away what you brought home. I’ll tell you why,” announces the Lord who rules over all. “Because my temple is still destroyed. In spite of that, each one of you is busy with your own house. 10So because of what you have done, the heavens have held back the dew. And the earth has not produced its crops. 11I ordered the rain not to fall on the fields and mountains. Then the ground did not produce any grain. There were not enough grapes to make fresh wine. The trees did not bear enough olives to make oil. People and cattle suffered. All your hard work failed.”
12Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel. Joshua the high priest was the son of Jozadak. They obeyed the Lord their God. So did all the Lord’s people who were still left alive. The Lord had given his message to them through me. He had sent me to speak to them. And the people had respect for him.
13Haggai was the Lord’s messenger. So Haggai gave the Lord’s message to the people. He told them, “The Lord announces, ‘I am with you.’ ” 14So the Lord stirred up the spirits of Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and Joshua the high priest. The Lord also stirred up the rest of the people to help them. Then everyone began to work on the temple of the Lord who rules over all. He is their God. 15It was the 24th day of the sixth month.
The New Temple Will Be Beautiful
In the second year of King Darius,
Asɔredansi Ho Nkaebɔ
1Ɔsram a ɛto so asia no da a edi kan wɔ Ɔhene Dario adedi afe a ɛto so abien so no, Awurade nam Odiyifo Hagai so, de asɛm maa Sealtiel babarima ne Yuda amrado Serubabel ne Ɔsɔfopanyin Yehosadak babarima Yosua. 2Asɛm a Asafo Awurade ka ni: “Nnipa no reka se, ‘Bere no nya nnuu sɛ wosi Awurade fi no.’ ”
3Afei, Awurade de saa asɛm yi faa Odiyifo Hagai so: 4“Saa bere yi a me fi yi abubu yi na mo de, motete mo afi a wɔaduradura mu yi ana?”
5Asɛm a, Asafo Awurade ka ni: “Munnwen mo akwan ho yiye. 6Muduaa bebree, nanso mutwaa kakraa bi. Mudidi, nanso mommee. Monom, nanso osukɔm de mo ara. Mohyɛ ntade, nanso ɛnka mo hyew. Munya akatua, na mode gu sika nkotoku a wɔatutu mu atokuru mu.”
7Asɛm a Asafo Awurade ka ni: “Munnwen mo akwan ho yiye. 8Afei momforo nkɔ nkoko no atifi, na momfa nnua mmra mmesi me fi no. Na mʼani begye ho, na wɔahyɛ me anuonyam.” Saa na Awurade ka. 9“Mo ani daa bebree so, nanso ɛyɛɛ kakraa bi. Na mode baa fie no, mihuw gui. Dɛn ntia?” Efisɛ, “me fi abubu.” Saa na Asafo Awurade ka, “bere a mo ani abere resisi mo afi no. 10Mo nti na ɔsoro akyere obosu agyina, na asase nso akyere mo nnɔbae. 11Mahyɛ ɔpɛ sɛ, ensi mo mfuw ne nkoko1.11 Nkoko—Wɔyɛ atrapoe sɛso a ɛtrɛw wɔn nkoko so na wɔatumi adɔw, adua, atwa. so; ɔpɛ a ɛbɛhyew mo atoko ne mo bobe ne mo ngodua ne mo nnɔbae, ɛbɛyɛ ɔpɛ a ebesi mo ne mo anantwi mu, na asɛe dwuma biara a mode mo nsa adi.”
Nkaebɔ No Sodi
12Na Sealtiel babarima Serubabel, Ɔsɔfopanyin Yehosadak babarima Yosua ne Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo nkae no tiee asɛm a efi Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, ne Odiyifo Hagai a Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, asoma no no. Na nnipa no de osuro maa Awurade. 13Na Hagai, Awurade somafo no, de saa asɛm yi a efi Awurade nkyɛn maa nkurɔfo no: “Meka mo ho.” Saa na Awurade se. 14Ɛno nti, Awurade kanyan Sealtiel babarima Serubabel a ɔyɛ Yuda amrado, Ɔsɔfopanyin Yehosadak babarima Yosua ne Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo nkae no nyinaa. Wobefii wɔn adwuma a ɛwɔ Asafo Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, fi no ase, 15wɔ Ɔhene Dario adedi afe a ɛto so abien no, ɔsram a ɛto so asia no da a ɛto so aduonu anan no.