But the men who had gone with Caleb said, "No, we are not strong enough to attack them; the people there are more powerful than we are."

As soon as this letter from Emperor Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai, and their associates, they hurried to Jerusalem and forced the Jews to stop rebuilding the city.

Work on the Temple had been stopped and had remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Emperor Darius of Persia.

At that time two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo, began to speak in the name of the God of Israel to the Jews who lived in Judah and Jerusalem.

When Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak heard their messages, they began to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, and the two prophets helped them.

The people of Judah had a song they sang: "We grow weak carrying burdens; There's so much rubble to take away. How can we build the wall today?"

Lazy people stay at home; they say a lion might get them if they go outside.

Why don't lazy people ever get out of the house? What are they afraid of ? Lions?

Some people are too lazy to put food in their own mouths.

It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the LORD, you are safe.

Work hard at whatever you do, because there will be no action, no thought, no knowledge, no wisdom in the world of the dead---and that is where you are going.

If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.

While I slept, my heart was awake. I dreamed my lover knocked at the door. Let me come in, my darling, my sweetheart, my dove. My head is wet with dew, and my hair is damp from the mist.

I have already undressed; why should I get dressed again? I have washed my feet; why should I get them dirty again?