TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Haggai - Chapter 1

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, this word of Hashem came through the Navi Chagai to Zerubavel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Yehuda, and to Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak, the Kohen Gadol:

אבִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשִּׁשִּׁי בְּיוֹם אֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָיָה דְבַר־יְהֹוָה בְּיַד־חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל פַּחַת יְהוּדָה וְאֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל לֵאמֹר׃

2Thus said the lord of Hosts: These people say, “The time has not yet come for rebuilding the House of Hashem.”

בכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר הָעָם הַזֶּה אָמְרוּ לֹא עֶת־בֹּא עֶת־בֵּית יְהֹוָה לְהִבָּנוֹת׃

3And the word of Hashem through the Navi Chagai continued:

גוַיְהִי דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה בְּיַד־חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃

4Is it a time for you to dwell in your paneled houses, while this House is lying in ruins?

ha-AYT la-KHEM a-TEM la-SHE-vet b'-va-tay-KHEM s'-fu-NEEM v'-ha-BA-yit ha-ZEH kha-RAYV

דהַעֵת לָכֶם אַתֶּם לָשֶׁבֶת בְּבָתֵּיכֶם סְפוּנִים וְהַבַּיִת הַזֶּה חָרֵב׃

 1:4  Is it a time for you to dwell in your paneled houses

Addressing the Jews who returned to the Land of Israel after seventy years of Babylonian exile, Chagai’s mission is to motivate them to resume construction of the second Temple. He begins by challenging them to reflect on their priorities, and to consider what is more important: Their comfort, or God’s? While they dwell in paneled houses, Hashem’s house lies in ruins. The Hebrew term for ‘paneled’ is sefunim (ספונים). According to some, the panels were made out of cedar wood, imported from Lebanon. Chagai is accusing the people of not learning from King David, who said to the prophet Natan, “Here I am dwelling in a house of cedar, while the Aron of Hashem abides in a tent!” (II Samuel 7). David longed to overcome that disparity and build the first Beit Hamikdash, while the Israelites in Chagai’s time are unconcerned. Chagai tries to break their complacency.

5Now thus said the lord of Hosts: Consider how you have been faring!

הוְעַתָּה כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שִׂימוּ לְבַבְכֶם עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶם׃

6You have sowed much and brought in little; you eat without being satisfied; you drink without getting your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one gets warm; and he who earns anything earns it for a leaky purse.

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

7Thus said the lord of Hosts: Consider how you have fared:

זכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שִׂימוּ לְבַבְכֶם עַל־דַּרְכֵיכֶם׃

8Go up to the hills and get timber, and rebuild the House; then I will look on it with favor and I will be glorified—said Hashem.

חעֲלוּ הָהָר וַהֲבֵאתֶם עֵץ וּבְנוּ הַבָּיִת וְאֶרְצֶה־בּוֹ ואכבד [וְאֶכָּבְדָה] אָמַר יְהֹוָה׃

9You have been expecting much and getting little; and when you brought it home, I would blow on it! Because of what?—says the lord of Hosts. Because of My House which lies in ruins, while you all hurry to your own houses!

טפָּנֹה אֶל־הַרְבֵּה וְהִנֵּה לִמְעָט וַהֲבֵאתֶם הַבַּיִת וְנָפַחְתִּי בוֹ יַעַן מֶה נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת יַעַן בֵּיתִי אֲשֶׁר־הוּא חָרֵב וְאַתֶּם רָצִים אִישׁ לְבֵיתוֹ׃

10That is why the skies above you have withheld [their] moisture and the earth has withheld its yield,

יעַל־כֵּן עֲלֵיכֶם כָּלְאוּ שָמַיִם מִטָּל וְהָאָרֶץ כָּלְאָה יְבוּלָהּ׃

11and I have summoned fierce heat upon the land—upon the hills, upon the new grain and wine and oil, upon all that the ground produces, upon man and beast, and upon all the fruits of labor.

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

12Zerubavel son of Shealtiel and the Kohen Gadol Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak and all the rest of the people gave heed to the summons of Hashem their God and to the words of the Navi Chagai, when Hashem their God sent him; the people feared Hashem.

יבוַיִּשְׁמַע זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵל וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְכֹל שְׁאֵרִית הָעָם בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְעַל־דִּבְרֵי חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא כַּאֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ הָעָם מִפְּנֵי יְהֹוָה׃

13And Chagai, Hashem's messenger, fulfilling Hashem's mission, spoke to the people, “I am with you—declares Hashem.”

יגוַיֹּאמֶר חַגַּי מַלְאַךְ יְהֹוָה בְּמַלְאֲכוּת יְהֹוָה לָעָם לֵאמֹר אֲנִי אִתְּכֶם נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃

14Then Hashem roused the spirit of Zerubavel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Yehuda, and the spirit of the Kohen Gadol Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak, and the spirit of all the rest of the people: They came and set to work on the House of the lord of Hosts, their God,

ידוַיָּעַר יְהֹוָה אֶת־רוּחַ זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵל פַּחַת יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־רוּחַ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְאֶת־רוּחַ כֹּל שְׁאֵרִית הָעָם וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ מְלָאכָה בְּבֵית־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם׃

15on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. In the second year of King Darius,

טובְּיוֹם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ בַּשִּׁשִּׁי בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ׃