American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and {Or, terrified}troubled them in building,
Make ye now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until a decree shall be made by me.
Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel {Or, which was upon them}prophesied they unto them.
In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,
Thus speaketh Jehovah of hosts, saying, This people say, {Or, as otherwise read, The time is not come for Jehovah's house &c.}It is not the time for us to come, the time for Jehovah's house to be built.
Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your ceiled houses, while this house lieth waste?
And now, I pray you, consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of Jehovah.
Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Jehovah their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as Jehovah their God had sent him; and the people did fear before Jehovah.
Then spake Haggai Jehovah's messenger in Jehovah's message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith Jehovah.
And now, I pray you, consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of Jehovah.
For the priests and the Levites had purified themselves {Hebrew; as one.}together; all of them were pure: and they killed the passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt-offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.