time been suffering, how and to what extent will appear later. Perhaps they had made this an excuse for not rebuilding the temple. It had not occurred to them that their misfortunes might be due to their neglect of Yahweh. Haggai was decidedly of this opinion. He therefore follows the question of the preceding verse with the exhortation, take thought on your ways. This, in view of the use of the same expression in v. 7, seems a better rendering than that of Wellhausen, Consider how ye have fared.