You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands.

When He works on the left hand, I cannot behold Him; When He turns to the right hand, I cannot see Him.

Indeed, like wild donkeys in the desert, They go out to their work, searching for food. The wilderness yields food for them and for their children.

Is it not destruction for the wicked, And disaster for the workers of iniquity?

“Behold, God works all these things, Twice, in fact, three times with a man,

Who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, And walks with wicked men?

For He repays man according to his work, And makes man to find a reward according to his way.

Yet He is not partial to princes, Nor does He regard the rich more than the poor; For they are all the work of His hands.

There is no darkness nor shadow of death Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

Therefore He knows their works; He overthrows them in the night, And they are crushed.

Then He tells them their work and their transgressions— That they have acted defiantly.

Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty

“Remember to magnify His work, Of which men have sung.

God’s Works and Wisdom

“At this also my heart trembles, And leaps from its place.

He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work.

“Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

Do you know how the clouds are balanced, Those wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?

The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.

Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity; For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Righteous Judgments

To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.

I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah

Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good.

Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call on the Lord?

He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;

Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

The Assurance of God’s Saving Work

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble; May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;

That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.

Do not take me away with the wicked And with the workers of iniquity, Who speak peace to their neighbors, But evil is in their hearts.

Give them according to their deeds, And according to the wickedness of their endeavors; Give them according to the work of their hands; Render to them what they deserve.

Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, Nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them And not build them up.

For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth.

He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.

There the workers of iniquity have fallen; They have been cast down and are not able to rise.

The Heritage of the Righteous and the Calamity of the Wicked

A Psalm of David.

Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.

Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.

Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth.

Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God?

No, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloodthirsty men.

Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work.

Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked, From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,

All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing.

Praise to God for His Awesome Works

To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!

Say to God, “How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.

Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.

O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works.

But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works.

And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers.

For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.

Thanksgiving for God’s Righteous Judgment

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Do Not Destroy.” A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.

The Consoling Memory of God’s Redemptive Works

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of Asaph.

I cried out to God with my voice— To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me.

I will remember the works of the Lord; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.

We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;

And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them.

In spite of this they still sinned, And did not believe in His wondrous works.

When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan;

Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works.

Will You work wonders for the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise You? Selah

Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.

And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.

For You, Lord, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

O Lord, how great are Your works! Your thoughts are very deep.

When the wicked spring up like grass, And when all the workers of iniquity flourish, It is that they may be destroyed forever.

For behold, Your enemies, O Lord, For behold, Your enemies shall perish; All the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

They utter speech, and speak insolent things; All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves.

Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

When your fathers tested Me; They tried Me, though they saw My work.

I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.

He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.

Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul!

He waters the hills from His upper chambers; The earth is satisfied with the fruit of Your works.

Man goes out to his work And to his labor until the evening.

O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions—

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice in His works.

Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!

Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel,

Wondrous works in the land of Ham, Awesome things by the Red Sea.

But they mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works;

Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds.

BOOK FIVE

Psalms 107–150

Thanksgiving to the Lord for His Great Works of Deliverance

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing.

They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

The works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.

His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever.

He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.

He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure.

Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.

I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the Lord.

Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wonderful works.

As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The Lord shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.

The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice wicked works With men who work iniquity; And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.

One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.

The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.

All Your works shall praise You, O Lord, And Your saints shall bless You.

The Lord is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, Before His works of old.

The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

The wicked man does deceptive work, But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.

Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.

Honest weights and scales are the Lord’s; All the weights in the bag are His work.

He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

The way of a guilty man is perverse; But as for the pure, his work is right.

It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.

Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.

Do not say, “I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work.”

A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, And a flattering mouth works ruin.

She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands.

Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done And on the labor in which I had toiled; And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.

Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.

For all his days are sorrowful, and his work burdensome; even in the night his heart takes no rest. This also is vanity.

For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

The God-Given Task

What profit has the worker from that in which he labors?

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.

I said in my heart, “God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, For there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

So I perceived that nothing is better than that a man should rejoice in his own works, for that is his heritage. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?

Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, Who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun.

The Vanity of Selfish Toil

Again, I saw that for all toil and every skillful work a man is envied by his neighbor. This also is vanity and grasping for the wind.

Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, nor say before the messenger of God that it was an error. Why should God be angry at your excuse and destroy the work of your hands?

Consider the work of God; For who can make straight what He has made crooked?

All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his own hurt.

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity.

then I saw all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. For though a man labors to discover it, yet he will not find it; moreover, though a wise man attempts to know it, he will not be able to find it.

Death Comes to All

For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God. People know neither love nor hatred by anything they see before them.

Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works.

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

As you do not know what is the way of the wind, Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.

For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Expressions of Praise

The Beloved

How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O prince’s daughter! The curves of your thighs are like jewels, The work of the hands of a skillful workman.

The strong shall be as tinder, And the work of it as a spark; Both will burn together, And no one shall quench them.

Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made.

The harp and the strings, The tambourine and flute, And wine are in their feasts; But they do not regard the work of the Lord, Nor consider the operation of His hands.

That say, “Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it.”

Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Lord has performed all His work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, that He will say, “I will punish the fruit of the arrogant heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his haughty looks.”

He will not look to the altars, The work of his hands; He will not respect what his fingers have made, Nor the wooden images nor the incense altars.

Moreover those who work in fine flax And those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed;

The Lord has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst; And they have caused Egypt to err in all her work, As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

Neither will there be any work for Egypt, Which the head or tail, Palm branch or bulrush, may do.

whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.

For the Lord will rise up as at Mount Perazim, He will be angry as in the Valley of Gibeon— That He may do His work, His awesome work, And bring to pass His act, His unusual act.

Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”

Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, “Who sees us?” and, “Who knows us?”

But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel.

Likewise the oxen and the young donkeys that work the ground Will eat cured fodder, Which has been winnowed with the shovel and fan.

Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not call back His words, But will arise against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity.

For the foolish person will speak foolishness, And his heart will work iniquity: To practice ungodliness, To utter error against the Lord, To keep the hungry unsatisfied, And he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.

and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.

The workman molds an image, The goldsmith overspreads it with gold, And the silversmith casts silver chains.

Whoever is too impoverished for such a contribution Chooses a tree that will not rot; He seeks for himself a skillful workman To prepare a carved image that will not totter.

Indeed you are nothing, And your work is nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.

Indeed they are all worthless; Their works are nothing; Their molded images are wind and confusion.

Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?”

Surely all his companions would be ashamed; And the workmen, they are mere men. Let them all be gathered together, Let them stand up; Yet they shall fear, They shall be ashamed together.

The blacksmith with the tongs works one in the coals, Fashions it with hammers, And works it with the strength of his arms. Even so, he is hungry, and his strength fails; He drinks no water and is faint.

Thus says the Lord, The Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: “Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons; And concerning the work of My hands, you command Me.

Then I said, ‘I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and in vain; Yet surely my just reward is with the Lord, And my work with my God.’ ”

“Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy.

I will declare your righteousness And your works, For they will not profit you.

Their webs will not become garments, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And the act of violence is in their hands.

Also your people shall all be righteous; They shall inherit the land forever, The branch of My planting, The work of My hands, That I may be glorified.

“For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant.

Indeed the Lord has proclaimed To the end of the world: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Surely your salvation is coming; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him.’ ”

But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

Your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together,” Says the Lord, “Who have burned incense on the mountains And blasphemed Me on the hills; Therefore I will measure their former work into their bosom.”

They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

“For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall be that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and see My glory.

I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.

And now, because you have done all these works,” says the Lord, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer,

“How can you say, ‘We are wise, And the law of the Lord is with us’? Look, the false pen of the scribe certainly works falsehood.

For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

Silver is beaten into plates; It is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of the craftsman And of the hands of the metalsmith; Blue and purple are their clothing; They are all the work of skillful men.

They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

nor carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, nor do any work, but hallow the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

“And it shall be, if you heed Me carefully,” says the Lord, “to bring no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, to do no work in it,

“Please inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that the king may go away from us.”

“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness And his chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages And gives him nothing for his work,

Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’

Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

(For many nations and great kings shall be served by them also; and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands.)’ ”

Thus says the Lord: “Refrain your voice from weeping, And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the Lord, And they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.

because the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth. For the children of Israel have provoked Me only to anger with the work of their hands,’ says the Lord.

in that you provoke Me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt where you have gone to dwell, that you may cut yourselves off and be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

For because you have trusted in your works and your treasures, You also shall be taken. And Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, His priests and his princes together.

Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord deceitfully, And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.

“Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I shall send him wine-workers Who will tip him over And empty his vessels And break the bottles.

The Lord has opened His armory, And has brought out the weapons of His indignation; For this is the work of the Lord God of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans.

“Call together the archers against Babylon. All you who bend the bow, encamp against it all around; Let none of them escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all she has done, do to her; For she has been proud against the Lord, Against the Holy One of Israel.

The Lord has revealed our righteousness. Come and let us declare in Zion the work of the Lord our God.

They are futile, a work of errors; In the time of their punishment they shall perish.

Repay them, O Lord, According to the work of their hands.

The precious sons of Zion, Valuable as fine gold, How they are regarded as clay pots, The work of the hands of the potter!

The appearance of the wheels and their workings was like the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness. The appearance of their workings was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, your idols may be broken and made to cease, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

Instead, it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work?

Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?

They will deal hatefully with you, take away all you have worked for, and leave you naked and bare. The nakedness of your harlotry shall be uncovered, both your lewdness and your harlotry.

You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor, because they worked for Me,’ says the Lord God.

When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, but he trusts in his own righteousness and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.

Nevertheless I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.

The Manner of Worship

‘Thus says the Lord God: “The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened.

The rest of the length, alongside the district of the holy section, shall be ten thousand cubits to the east and ten thousand to the west. It shall be adjacent to the district of the holy section, and its produce shall be food for the workers of the city.

The workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it.

I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God has worked for me.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.

He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.

Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.

For from Israel is even this: A workman made it, and it is not God; But the calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces.

Now they sin more and more, And have made for themselves molded images, Idols of their silver, according to their skill; All of it is the work of craftsmen. They say of them, “Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!”

Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.”

The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob: “Surely I will never forget any of their works.

Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

Woe to Evildoers

Woe to those who devise iniquity, And work out evil on their beds! At morning light they practice it, Because it is in the power of their hand.

Your carved images I will also cut off, And your sacred pillars from your midst; You shall no more worship the work of your hands;

For the statutes of Omri are kept; All the works of Ahab’s house are done; And you walk in their counsels, That I may make you a desolation, And your inhabitants a hissing. Therefore you shall bear the reproach of My people.”

The Lord’s Reply

“Look among the nations and watch— Be utterly astounded! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.

O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.

The herds shall lie down in her midst, Every beast of the nation. Both the pelican and the bittern Shall lodge on the capitals of her pillars; Their voice shall sing in the windows; Desolation shall be at the threshold; For He will lay bare the cedar work.

So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the 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,

Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts.

Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.