² Thus spake Jehovah of Hosts, saying: This people! -- they have said, `The time hath not come, The time the house of Jehovah `is' to be built.'

³¹ And the men who have gone up with him said, `We are not able to go up against the people, for it `is' stronger than we;'

¹⁰ And Judah saith, `The power of the burden-bearers hath become feeble, and the rubbish `is' abundant, and we are not able to build on the wall.'

¹⁰ All that thy hand findeth to do, with thy power do, for there is no work, and device, and knowledge, and wisdom in Sheol whither thou art going.

² I am sleeping, but my heart waketh: The sound of my beloved knocking! `Open to me, my sister, my friend, My dove, my perfect one, For my head is filled `with' dew, My locks `with' drops of the night.'

³ I have put off my coat, how do I put it on? I have washed my feet, how do I defile them?

²³ Then from the time that a copy of the letter of king Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, unto the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;

²⁴ then ceased the service of the house of God that `is' in Jerusalem, and it ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

¹ And prophesied have the prophets, (Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo) unto the Jews who `are' in Judah and in Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel -- unto them.

² Then have Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, risen, and begun to build the house of God, that `is' in Jerusalem, and with them are the prophets of God supporting them.

¹³ The slothful hath said, `A lion `is' without, In the midst of the broad places I am slain.'

¹³ The slothful hath said, `A lion `is' in the way, A lion `is' in the broad places.'

¹⁴ The door turneth round on its hinge, And the slothful on his bed.

¹⁵ The slothful hath hid his hand in a dish, He is weary of bringing it back to his mouth.

¹⁶ Wiser `is' the slothful in his own eyes, Than seven `men' returning a reason.

²⁵ Fear of man causeth a snare, And the confident in Jehovah is set on high.

⁴ Whoso is observing the wind soweth not, And whoso is looking on the thick clouds reapeth not.