On the first day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel and governor of Judah, and to Joshua, son of Jehozadak and high priest, and said: "Thus says the Lord of hosts, that these people say, ‘It is not yet the time to rebuild the Lord’s temple.’"

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai, saying: "Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?"

Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider how you have fared. You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes."

Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Consider how you have fared. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the Lord. "You have looked for much, and behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?" says the Lord of hosts. "Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and animals, and on all their labors."

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of the prophet Haggai, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, saying, "I am with you, says the Lord." And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month in the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: "Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say: ‘Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, oh Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, oh Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear.

"‘For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.’"

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On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai, saying: "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests for a ruling: If one carries consecrated meat in the fold of one’s garment, and with the fold touches bread, or stew, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy?" The priests answered, "No."

And then again, "If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?" The priests answered, "Yes, it becomes unclean." Haggai then said, "So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, the Lord says; and so with every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

"But now, consider what will come to pass from this day on. Before a stone was placed upon a stone in the Lord’s temple, how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten; when one came to the wine-vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and mildew and hail; yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. Consider from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider: Is there any seed left in the barn? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still yield nothing? From this day on I will bless you."

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the Lord spoke for a second time to Haggai, saying, "Say this to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I shall overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kings of the nations. I shall overthrow the chariots and their riders, horses and their riders will fall, all to his comrade’s sword. When that day comes, the Lord says, I shall take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel my servant, the Lord says, and make you like a ring with a seal, for I have chosen you,’ so says the Lord."

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In the eighth month in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, saying: "The Lord was very angry with your ancestors. Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed - Thus says the Lord of hosts, return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds - but they did not hear or heed me, says the Lord.’ Your ancestors, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your ancestors? So they repented and said, ‘The Lord of hosts has dealt with us according to our ways and deeds, just as he planned to do.’"

On the twenty-fourth day of Shebat, the eleventh month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah son of Iddo, as Zechariah said: "In the night I saw a man riding on a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in the glen; and behind him were red, sorrel, and white horses."

Then I said, "What are these, my lord?" The angel who talked to me told me, "I will show you what they are." So the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered, "They are those whom the Lord has sent to oversee the earth." Then they spoke to the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees, "We have overseen the earth, and behold, the whole earth remains at peace." Then the angel of the Lord said, "Oh Lord of hosts, how long will you withhold mercy from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which you have been angry these past seventy years?" Then the Lord replied with gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

So the angel who talked with me told me, "Proclaim this message: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts; I am very jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion. And I am extremely angry with the nations that are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they made the disaster worse. Therefore, thus says the Lord, I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; my house shall be built in it, says the Lord of hosts, and the measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.’ Proclaim further: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: My cities shall again overflow with prosperity; the Lord will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem."

And I looked up and saw four horns. I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these?" And he answered me, "These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel and Jerusalem." Then the Lord showed me four blacksmiths. And I asked, "What are they coming to do?" He answered, "These are the horns that scattered Judah, so that no head could be raised; but these have come to terrify them, to strike down the horns of the nations that lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter its people."

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Readings of the 28^th Week – Wednesday The Reading is from the Prophet Zechariah

Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was dressed with filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." And to him he said, "See, I have taken your guilt away from you, and I will clothe you with festal appare and put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with the apparel; and the angel of the Lord was standing by.

Then the angel of the Lord assured Joshua, saying "Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.

"Now listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who sit before you! For they are an omen of things to come: I am going to bring my servant the Branch. For on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven facets, I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, you shall invite each other to come under your vine and fig tree."

The angel who talked with me came again, and wakened me, as one is wakened from sleep. He said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl on the top of it; there are seven lamps on it, with seven lips on each of the lamps that are on the top of it. And by it there are two olive trees, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." I said to the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" Then the angel who talked to me answered me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord."

He said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. What are you, oh great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring out the top stone amid shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’"

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel. These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range over the whole earth." Then I said to him, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" And a second time I said to him, "What are these two branches of the olive trees, which pour out the oil through the two golden pipes?" He said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" I said, "No, my lord." Then he said, "These are the Two Anointed ones who stand by my Lord of the whole earth."

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The word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying:

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath.’

"Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts shall be called the holy mountain.’

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.’

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Even though it seems impossible to the remnant of this people in these days, should it also seem impossible to me, says the Lord of hosts?’

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will save my people from the east country and from the west country; and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They shall be my people and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.’

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong; you that have recently been hearing these words from the mouths of the prophets who were present when the foundation was laid for the rebuilding of the temple, the house of the Lord of hosts. For before those days there were no wages for people or for animals, nor was there any safety from the foe for those who went out or came in, and I set them all against one other. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘For there shall be a sowing of peace; the vine shall yield its fruit, the ground shall give its produce, and the skies shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. Just as you have been a cursing among the nations, oh house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you and you shall be a blessing. Do not be afraid, but let your hands be strong.’

"For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Just as I purposed to bring disaster upon you, when your ancestors provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘so again I have purposed in these days to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; do not be afraid.

"These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another, render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace, do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath; for all these are things that I hate,’ says the Lord.

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, the inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying: Come, let us go to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going. And many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the Lord.

"Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from nations of every language shall take hold of a Jew, grasp his garment and say: Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’."

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A prophecy. The word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi:

"‘I have loved you,’ says the Lord. But you say: How have you loved us?

‘Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?’ says the Lord. ‘Yet I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau; I have made his hill country a desolation and his heritage a desert for jackals.

‘If Edom says: We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,’ the Lord of hosts says: ‘They may build, but I will tear down, until they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the Lord is angry forever. Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say: Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel!

‘A son honors his father, and servants their master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, oh priests, who despise my name. You say: How have we despised your name? By offering polluted food on my altar. And you say: How have we polluted it? By thinking that the Lord’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor?’ says the Lord of hosts.

‘And now implore the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. The fault is yours. Will he show favor to any of you?’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Oh, that someone among you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will not accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and the food for it may be despised. You say: What a weariness this is, and you sniff at me,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand?’ says the Lord. ‘Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King,’ says the Lord of hosts, and reverence is given to my name among the nations.

‘And this you do as well. You shall cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor at your hand. You ask: Why does he not? Because the Lord was a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did not one God make her? Both flesh and spirit are his. And what does the one God desire? Godly offspring. So look to yourselves, and do not let anyone be faithless to the wife of his youth. For I hate divorce,’ says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘and covering one’s garment with violence,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless.’"

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Thus says the Lord God:

"‘See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight; indeed, he is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts.

‘But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

‘Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, oh children of Jacob, have not perished.

‘Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord of hosts.

‘But you say: How shall we return? Will anyone rob God: yet you are robbing me! But you say: How are we robbing you? In your tithes and offerings! You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you! Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and thus put me to the test,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘See if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the locust for you, so that it will not destroy the produce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not be barren,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight,’ says the Lord of hosts.

‘You have spoken harsh words against me,’ says the Lord. ‘Yet you say: How have we spoken against you?" You have said: It is vain to serve God: what do we profit by keeping his command or by going about as mourners before the Lord of hosts? Now we count the arrogant happy; evildoers not only prosper, but when they put God to the test they escape.

‘Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord took note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who revered the Lord and thought on his name. They shall be mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them. Then once more you shall see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

‘For look, the day is coming, glowing like a furnace. All the proud and all the evil-doers will be the stubble and when the day comes it will set them on fire, leaving them neither root nor branch,’ says the Lord of hosts. But as for you who fear my name, the sun of justice shall rise with healing in his rays, and you shall come out leaping like calves from the stall. You shall trample on the wicked who will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,’ says the Lord of hosts.

‘Remember the law of my servant Moses to whom I prescribed decrees at Horeb together with ruling for the whole of Israel.

‘Look I shall send you the prophet Elijah before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes, who will reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents, to prevent me from striking the country and let it be destroyed’."

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