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Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith the LORD of hosts. Because of mine house that is waste, and ye run every man into his own house.

Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands.

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their GOD, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their GOD had sent him; and the people did fear before the LORD.

Then spake Haggai the LORD's messenger in the LORD'S message unto the people, saying, I am with you, saith the LORD.

And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubabbel the son of Shealtiel governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of the LORD of hosts their GOD;

In the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the pro phet Haggai, saying, Speak now to Zerubabbel the son of Shealtiel governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

Who is left among you that saw this house in her

first glory; and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua son of Josedech the high priest and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

This prophecy is in such very plain language, that it needs no comment. One thing, however, is particularly worthy of observation, viz. that those pious people, whose zeal for the honour of the LORD made them melt into tears when they recollected the splendor of the former Temple were comforted with an assurance, that the glory of the second Temple should exceed that of the first. The accomplishment of this prophecy will be shewn in a future part of this history.

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SECTION LXVI.

PART OF THE PROPHECIES OF ZECHARIAH AND

HAGGAI.

From Zech. Chap. i.-Hag. Chap. i, ii.

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah the son of Barachiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.

Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

Be not as your fathers unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings; but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD,

Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?

But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned, and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.

In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai, the prophet, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead

body

body touch any of these, shall be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD, and so is every work of their hands: and that which they offer there is unclean.

And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD.

Since those days where when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the press-fat for to draw fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

I smote you with blasting, and with mildew, and! with hail, in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the LORD.

Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from: the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was: laid, consider it.

Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree,, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless ›

you.

And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,. Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, I will: shake the heavens and the earth;

And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the hea-. then; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee,. O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD

L. 5

LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.

Thus the prophet Haggai, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them.

Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Josedech, and began to build the house of GOD which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

The Jews, thus reproved and encouraged, soon set about the building again, under the divine favour and protection. How merciful and gracious was the LORD in all his dispensations, towards his people Israel!

SECTION LXVII.

CONTINUATION OF THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS.

From Ezra, Chap. v, vi.

AT the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companicns, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall?

Then said we unto them after this manner, What are the names of the men that make this building?

But the eye of their God was upon the elders of the Jews, that they could not cause them to cease, till the matter came to Darius: and then they returned answer by letter concerning this matter,

The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this

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