1 In ^athe second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by ^bHaggai the prophet to ^cZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to ^dJoshua the son of ^eJehozadak, the high priest, saying,  ‡

2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.” ’ ”

4 “Is it ^atime for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this¹ temple to lie in ruins?”  ‡

5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: ^a“Consider your ways! ‡