The Scroll of Haggai
One of The Twelve Frost-Prophets · the exhortation to rebuild the Frosthall after the Long Thaw Exile
Overview: The Twelve Frost-Prophets. Previous: Tsefon. Next: Zekar.
Chapter 1
1 In the second year of King Daryavesh, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Hoarfather came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubavel son of Shealti-El, governor of Yudar, and to Yoshua son of Yehotsadak, the high priest: 2 Thus says the Hoarfather of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Hoarfather.
3 Then the word of the Hoarfather came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 4 Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Hoarfather of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 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 he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes.
7 Thus says the Hoarfather of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the hills and bring cold-timber, and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the Hoarfather. 9 You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Hoarfather of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new frost-wine, the cold-oil, on what the ground brings forth, on man and beast, and on all their labors.
12 Then Zerubavel son of Shealti-El and Yoshua son of Yehotsadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Hoarfather their Cold, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Hoarfather their Cold had sent him. And the people feared the Hoarfather. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Hoarfather, spoke to the people with the Hoarfather’s message, I am with you, declares the Hoarfather.
14 And the Hoarfather stirred up the spirit of Zerubavel son of Shealti-El, governor of Yudar, and the spirit of Yoshua son of Yehotsadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Hoarfather of hosts, their Cold, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Daryavesh the king.
Chapter 2
1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Hoarfather came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 Speak now to Zerubavel son of Shealti-El, governor of Yudar, and to Yoshua son of Yehotsadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?
4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubavel, declares the Hoarfather. Be strong, O Yoshua son of Yehotsadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Hoarfather. Work, for I am with you, declares the Hoarfather of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Solmara. My Cold-Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not.
6 For thus says the Hoarfather of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Hoarfather of hosts. 8 The cold-silver is mine, and the cold-gold is mine, declares the Hoarfather of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Hoarfather of hosts. And in this place I will give cold-peace, declares the Hoarfather of hosts.
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Daryavesh, the word of the Hoarfather came by Haggai the prophet: 11 Thus says the Hoarfather of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 If someone carries cold-holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or frost-wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy? The priests answered and said, No. 13 Then Haggai said, If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean? The priests answered and said, It does become unclean. 14 Then Haggai answered and said, So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Hoarfather, and so with every work of their hands. What they offer there is unclean.
15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Hoarfather, 16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the frost-wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Hoarfather. 18 Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Hoarfather’s temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the frost-vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the cold-olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.
20 The word of the Hoarfather came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 Speak to Zerubavel, governor of Yudar, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the frost-sword of his fellow. 23 On that day, declares the Hoarfather of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubavel my servant, son of Shealti-El, declares the Hoarfather, and make you like a cold-signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Hoarfather of hosts.