“ You expected a lot. But you can see what a small amount it turned out to be. I blew away what you brought home. I’ll tell you why,” announces the Lord who rules over all.“ Because my temple is still destroyed. In spite of that, each one of you is busy with your own house.

你们盼望多得，所得的却少；你们收到家中，我就吹去。这是为什么呢？因为我的殿荒凉，你们各人却顾自己的房屋。这是万军之耶和华说的。

你们盼望多得，看哪，所得的却少；你们收到家中，我就吹去。这是为什么呢？因为我的殿荒凉，你们各人却只为自己的房屋奔走。这是万军之耶和华说的。

你们盼望多得，看哪，所得的却少；你们收到家中，我就吹去。这是为什么呢？因为我的殿荒凉，你们各人却只为自己的房屋奔走。这是万军之耶和华说的。

你们盼望丰收，结果收的很少；你们把收成带回家，我却把它们吹走。这是什么缘故？万军之耶和华告诉你们，‘因为你们都忙于建自家的房子，任由我的殿一片废墟。

“你们期望丰收，反倒歉收；你们收到家里的，我就吹去。”为什么呢？万军之耶和华说：“因为我的殿宇荒废，你们各人却为自己的房屋奔驰。

你們盼望多得，所得的卻少；你們收到家中，我就吹去。這是為甚麼呢？因為我的殿荒涼，你們各人卻顧自己的房屋。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

你們盼望多得，看哪，所得的卻少；你們收到家中，我就吹去。這是為甚麼呢？因為我的殿荒涼，你們各人卻只為自己的房屋奔走。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

你們盼望多得，看哪，所得的卻少；你們收到家中，我就吹去。這是為甚麼呢？因為我的殿荒涼，你們各人卻只為自己的房屋奔走。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

你們盼望豐收，結果收的很少；你們把收成帶回家，我卻把它們吹走。這是什麼緣故？萬軍之耶和華告訴你們，『因為你們都忙於建自家的房子，任由我的殿一片廢墟。

“你們期望豐收，反倒歉收；你們收到家裡的，我就吹去。”為甚麼呢？萬軍之耶和華說：“因為我的殿宇荒廢，你們各人卻為自己的房屋奔馳。

你們向慕着多，你看，卻得的少；你們收到家裏，我給吹去。為甚麼？萬軍之永恆主發神諭說：因為我的殿荒廢，而你們各人卻逕為自己的房屋奔跑啊。

爾望多而得少、攜之而歸、我則噓之、萬軍之耶和華曰、此何故耶、因我室荒涼、爾各亟於己室也、

昔爾慕多得少、攜物至家、我吹之飄沒者、誠何故耶、因爾各顧其廬、而我殿宇傾圮、毫不介意、萬有之主耶和華已言之矣。

爾望多得少、攜物於家、我吹之去、誠何故耶、萬有之主曰、因我殿荒蕪、爾曹各顧顧原文作奔其家、

“ You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty.“ Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.

You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the Lord of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house.

You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses.

“ You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the LORD of Armies.“ Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.

“ You start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies.“ It is because of My house which remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house.

“ You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts.“ Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.

Ye looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why? saith Jehovah of hosts. Because of my house that lieth waste, while ye run every man to his own house.

“ You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.“ Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.

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 unto his own house.

‘ You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little, and when you brought it home it disappeared right away. Why?’ asks the LORD who rules over all.‘ Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house!

“ You looked for much, and, behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says Yahweh of Armies,“ Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house.

“ My temple is still destroyed. But you are living in your houses that have beautiful wooden walls.”

The grass dries up. The flowers fall to the ground. That happens when the Lord makes his wind blow on them. So people are just like grass.

You have planted many seeds. But the crops you have gathered are small. So you eat. But you never have enough. You drink. But you are never full. You put on your clothes. But you are not warm. You earn your pay. But it will not buy everything you need.”

I thought about days gone by. I thought about the years of long ago.I remembered how I used to sing praise to you in the night. I thought about it, and here is what I asked myself.“ Will the Lord turn away from us forever? Won’t he ever show us his kindness again?Has his faithful love disappeared forever? Has his promise failed for all time?Has God forgotten to help us? Has he held back his tender love because he was angry?”Then I thought,“ Here is what gives me hope. For many years the Most High God showed how powerful he is.

‘ I warn and correct those I love. So be sincere, and turn away from your sins.

The bottom of the sea could be seen. The foundations of the earth were uncovered. It happened when the Lord’ s anger blazed out. It came like a blast of breath from his nose.

The Lord said to Joshua,“ Get up! What are you doing down there on your face?Israel has sinned. I made a covenant with them. I commanded them to keep it. But they have broken it. They have taken some of the things that had been set apart to me in a special way to be destroyed. They have stolen. They have lied. They have taken the things they stole and have put them with their own things.That is why the Israelites can’t stand up against their enemies. They turn their backs and run. That’s because I have decided to let them be destroyed. You must destroy the things you took that had been set apart to me. If you do not, I will not be with you anymore.“ Go and set the people apart. Tell them,‘ Make yourselves pure. Get ready for tomorrow. Here is what the Lord, the God of Israel, wants you to do. He says,“ People of Israel, you have kept some of the things that had been set apart to me to be destroyed. You can’t stand up against your enemies until you get rid of those things.”“‘ In the morning, come forward tribe by tribe. The tribe the Lord chooses will come forward group by group. The group the Lord chooses will come forward family by family. And the men in the family the Lord chooses will come forward one by one.Whoever is caught with the things that had been set apart to the Lord will be destroyed by fire. Everything that belongs to that person will also be destroyed. He has broken the Lord’ s covenant. He has done a very terrible thing in Israel!’ ”

Listen! I will send him news from his own country. It will make him want to return home. There I will have him killed by a sword.” ’ ”

For three years in a row there wasn’t enough food in the land. That was while David was king. So David asked the Lord why he wasn’t blessing his people. The Lord said,“ It is because Saul and his family committed murder. He put the people of Gibeon to death.”

That is why many of you are weak and sick. That is why a number of you have died.We should think more carefully about what we are doing. Then we would not be found guilty for this.When the Lord judges us in this way, he corrects us. Then in the end we will not be judged along with the rest of the world.

‘ But here is something I hold against you. You have turned away from the love you had at first.

Israel, you have forgotten God, who saves you. You have not remembered the Rock, who keeps you safe. You might set out the finest plants. You might plant vines from other lands.The plants might start to grow on the day you set them out. The vines might begin to bud on the morning you plant them. But even if they do, there won’t be any harvest. Instead, there will be sickness and pain that won’t go away.

“ Will a mere human being dare to steal from God? But you rob me!“ You ask,‘ How are we robbing you?’“ By holding back your offerings. You also steal from me when you do not bring me a tenth of everything you produce.So you are under my curse. In fact, your whole nation is under my curse. That is because you are robbing me.Bring the entire tenth to the storerooms in my temple. Then there will be plenty of food. Test me this way,” says the Lord.“ Then you will see that I will throw open the windows of heaven. I will pour out so many blessings that you will not have enough room to store them.I will keep bugs from eating up your crops. And your grapes will not drop from the vines before they are ripe,” says the Lord.

Listen to it. Honor me with all your heart,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ If you do not, I will send a curse on you. I will turn your blessings into curses. In fact, I have already done that because you have not honored me with all your heart.

“ Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. Anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.Whoever does not pick up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

People went to get 20 measures of grain. But they could find only 10. They went to where the wine was stored to get 50 measures. But only 20 were there.You worked very hard to produce all those things. But I struck them with rot, mold and hail. And you still did not return to me,’ announces the Lord.

I say to God,‘ Don’t find me guilty. Instead, tell me what charges you are bringing against me.