1-2. (a) Mɛni-kpanaŋ-ŋai kwa saa tɛɛi zui ɓoloŋɔɔi leŋ nyii ma Zuu-ŋai di tɛɛ zu tãi di li la polu Zerusalɛŋ? (b) Lono e pilaŋ mɛni-kpanaŋ-ŋai dia Zuu-ŋai di tɛɛ zui. (Basii, “ The Days of Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra” kaa.)

 SOMETIME you can worry about the future? Maybe you not get work again and you can worry about taking care of your family. Sometime you can be thinking about how your family will be safe because of the problem them in the country or people against us or against the preaching work. You facing any of this problem them? If so, then the Israelite them example will encourage you when you see how Jehovah help them when they were going through problem them like this.

² Most of the Jews who live in Babylon their whole life, never knew the place they were going. So they needed to get strong faith to leave all their material things and good life behind in Babylon. When they reach, it not stay long they started going through hard time. Also, problem was in the Persian empire and other nations around them started going against them. So, it was hard for some of the Jews to focus on building Jehovah Temple. So around 520 B.C.E., b Jehovah sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to help the people get their zeal back to do the work. (Hag. 1:1; Zech. 1:1) We will see that the work this prophet them do really help the people. But after almost 50 years, the Jews that went back needed encouragement  again. Ezra, who knew how to make copy of the Law good-good, came from Babylon to Jerusalem to encourage God people to put worshipping Jehovah first in their life.—Ezra 7:​1, 6.

3. Mare-kɛɛ-ŋa kɛɛ leŋ ɓe kwa pai zukulai zɛŋ-lɛɛi ŋi su? (Tare-woo-ŋa 22:19)

³ The prophecy them that Haggai and Zechariah gave help God people way back to continue to trust Him during hard time. That the same way this prophecy them can help us today to be sure that Jehovah will support us no matter what problem we going through. (Read Proverbs 22:19.) We coming learn about Ezra example and God message that Haggai and Zechariah gave to the people. When we learning about them, we will answer this question them here: The hard time the Jews went through, how it affect them? Why we must keep putting Jehovah first when we going through hard time? And how we can trust Jehovah more when we going through hard time?

4-5. Tãi ta, le ɓe Zuu-ŋai lii too polu e pilaŋ ŋala-pɛrɛ kɛtɛi tɔɔ polu tii mai?

⁴ When the Jews went back to Jerusalem, they were having plenty work to do. They build Jehovah altar and lay the temple foundation quick-quick. (Ezra 3:​1-3, 10) But their zeal start going down. Why? Because beside building the temple, they were having their own houses to build, make farms and take care of their family them. (Ezra 2:​68, 70) Apart from that, their enemy them was planning to stop the work they were doing on the temple.—Ezra 4:​1-5.

⁵ The Jews that went back were also catching hard time and the government that time was facing some problem them. Now their land was part of the Persian Empire. After Cyrus who was the King for Persia die in 530 B.C.E., the next King, Cambyses, wanted to take over Egypt. When he was going to Egypt, maybe his soldier them force the Israelites to give them food, water and place to stay. All this one them make things more hard on the Israelites. When the next King Darius I started ruling, plenty problem them were still in the Persian empire. For example, people were going against the government. So, all this thing them make plenty of the Israelites to worry about providing for their family. Because of all this problems the Jews were facing, some of them was feeling that it was not the right time to build Jehovah temple.—Hag. 1:2.

6. Yɛɛ berei gaa la Zɛkɛraya 4:​6, 7 sui, mɛni-kpanaŋ takpɛni-ŋa kɛɛ leŋ ɓe Zuu-ŋai di tɛɛ zui, nyaŋ Zɛkɛraya e di fɔrɔ leŋ?

⁶ Read Zechariah 4:​6, 7. Beside the hard time and the problem them they were facing in the Persian empire, other people were treating the Jews really bad. In 522 B.C.E., their enemy them convince the Persian government to stop the Jews from building Jehovah temple. But Zechariah encourage the Jews that Jehovah will use His powerful spirit to help them with the different-different problem them they were facing. In 520 B.C.E., King Darius allow them to continue building the temple and gave them money to do the work. He also tell some government people to support the Jews. Ezra 6:​1, 6-10.

7. Tãi Zuu-ŋai nyii-ŋai kula kɔ-soŋ-laa su di Ɣala ŋɔtii maa mɛni pu la fulɔi, luwa-ŋa kɛɛ leŋ di zɔlɔ ɓo?

 ⁷ Through Haggai and Zechariah, Jehovah promise his people that if they put  building the temple first, he will support them. (Hag. 1:​8, 13, 14; Zech. 1:​3, 16) The prophet them really encourage the Jews. So, they started building the temple again in 520 B.C.E. and they finish it in less than five years. Even though they were facing plenty problems, they still put Jehovah work first in their life. Because of that, Jehovah gave the Israelites what they needed to live. Also, He help them to remain close to Him. And all this one help them to be happy worshipping Jehovah.—Ezra 6:​14-16, 22.

8. Egaa 2:4, NWT a kpɔŋ leŋ kua a gɛɛ ku kuŋɛi kɛ Ɣala nĩa-mɛni kɛɛ ma? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ fonoi kaai.)

⁸ Because the great tribulation really close, it very important for us to obey the command to do the preaching work good-good. (Mark 13:10) But sometime, it can be hard for us to focus on the preaching work when money business hard or when people going against us because of the preaching work. What can help us to put Jehovah work first? We must be convince that “Jehovah of armies” c with us. He will help us if we continue to put Jehovah work first in our life. So we not get anything to be scare of.—Read Haggai 2:4.

9-10. Tua-laa su-ɓela tɔnɔ di gaa leŋ a gɛɛ mɛnii Zisɛ e mo Maafiu 6:​33 sui kaa a tɔ̃ya?

⁹ Let look at the example of Oleg and Irina, d one marry people who pioneering. After they move to one congregation to help with the work, they lost their job because things was hard in their country. Even though they were not working for about one year, they always use to feel Jehovah love and support. And sometime they can get help from their brother and sister them. Wetin help them when they  were going through this problem them? Oleg, who was really feeling bad from the beginning say, “When we spend more time in the preaching work, it help us to focus on the most important thing in life.” When he and his wife were still looking for work, they continue to be busy in the preaching work.

¹⁰ One day when they came home from field service, they got to know that one of their best friend travel about 160 kilometers (100 mi) to bring them two bags of different-different food. Oleg say: “On that day, we see again how Jehovah and our brothers and sisters really love us. We convince that Jehovah can’t forget his servant them, even if they feel that they not get hope.”—Matt. 6:33.

11. Le ɓe kuŋɛi a pɔri kɛi berei kwa kanaŋ kuŋɛi kɛi Ɣala nĩa-mɛni kɛɛ ma?

¹¹ Jehovah want us to focus on the work that will save people life by making disciples. According to  paragraph 7, Haggai encourage Jehovah people to start working on the temple again. Jehovah promise to “bless them” if they do it. (Hag. 2:​18, 19) We too can be sure that Jehovah will bless us if we put the preaching work first in our life.

12. Le mɛni ɓe maa nɛ̃ɛi kɛ Ɛzura da maraŋ kɔ-soŋ-ŋa dilaa-lai su e kɛ a gbanaŋɔɔ lai?

¹² In 468 B.C.E., Ezra and the second group of Jews travel from Babylon to Jerusalem. Ezra and the Jews that was with him needed strong faith to make this trip. They were traveling on dangerous roads and carrying plenty gold and silver that the king gave them for the temple. So it was easy for arm robbers to attack them. (Ezra 7:​12-16; 8:31) Also, they were soon coming find out that Jerusalem self was not safe for them. Plenty people was not living there and the walls and gate them needed to be fix. Wetin we can learn from Ezra about trusting in Jehovah more?

13. Ɛzura e ŋɔkili-tɔɔ-maai Ziova kponoi su kpanaŋ leŋ? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ fonoi kaai.)

¹³ Ezra saw how Jehovah help His people when they were going through problem. Maybe Ezra was living in Babylon in 484 B.C.E., the time King Ahasuerus say they must kill all the Jews that were living in the Persian Empire. (Esther 3:​7, 13-15) Ezra life was in danger! When the Jews hear about it, they were scary, they stop eating and they cry and pray to Jehovah for help. (Esther 4:3) Imagine how Ezra and the Jews were feeling when they kill the people them who plan to kill the Jews! (Esther 9:​1, 2) What happen that time really prepare Ezra for other problem them that was coming happen in the future. And it also help him to get more trust in Jehovah that He able to protect His people. e

14. Mɛni-ŋuŋ kɛɛ leŋ ɓe sisɛ ta e maa-kɔri gɛɛ tɛɛi mɛni-kpanaŋ sui?

¹⁴ When we see how Jehovah help us when going through hard time, it can make us to trust Him more. Let see the example of one sister name Anastasia, who living in Eastern Europe. When her work mate them was forcing her to put her hand in politics, she left her job. She say: “That was the first time in my life for me to not get any money at all.” Then she say: “I pray to Jehovah and I was able to see how he care for me. If I ever lose my job again,  I will not be scary. If my heavenly Father can take care of me today, I know he will take care of me tomorrow.”

15. Le ɓe kpɔŋ Ɛzura ma a gɛɛ e kanaŋ gili tɔɔi Ziova ma? (Ɛz 7:27, 28)

¹⁵ Ezra knew that Jehovah hand was in his life. When Ezra think about the plenty times that Jehovah help him before, it make him to continue trusting in Jehovah more. See what Ezra say: “the hand of Jehovah my God was upon me.” (Read Ezra 7:​27, 28.) Ezra use this same word them six times in the Bible book that get his name—Ezra 7:​6, 9; 8:​18, 22, 31.

16. Mɛni-ŋa kɛɛ leŋ su ɓe kwa pɔri Ziova ŋɔkpɔŋ maai kaai la kukɛ-ɣeniɛi su? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi kaai.)

¹⁶ Jehovah can help us when we in hard situation. For example, when we asking our boss to give us time to attend our convention or to change our working time so we can attend all our meetings, it will give us the opportunity to see how Jehovah helping us. Sometime, we will be surprise when we see how things work out for us. Then our trust in Jehovah will get more strong.

17. Ɛzura e maa-yeŋ-laa lɛ leŋ gɛɛ tɛɛi mɛni-kpanaŋ-ŋa su? (Ya pɔri ŋɔnɔ votooi kaai.)

¹⁷ Ezra was humble and he pray to Jehovah for help. Any time Ezra start worrying about the thing them he was having to do, he will humble his self and pray to Jehovah. (Ezra 8:​21-23; 9:​3-5) Because Ezra rely on Jehovah, other people were willing to help him and follow his example. (Ezra 10:​1-4) When we start worrying about the material thing them we need or about how our family will be safe, we must trust Jehovah by praying to Him.   

18. Le ɓe a pɔri kpɔnii kua a gɛɛ kukili-tɔɔ-maai Ziova kponoi su e kpanaŋ?

¹⁸ If we humble our self and ask Jehovah for help and accept the help from our brother and sister them, our trust in God will get more strong. Erika, who was having three children, continue to trust in Jehovah that He will help her even when bad things happen to her. Just in short time, her belly move and her husband die. When she think about all the thing them that happen to her, she say: “You can’t know how Jehovah will help you in the future. Help can come in different-different way them we not expecting. I na see that Jehovah na answer plenty of my prayers through my friend them by what they can say and do. If I tell my friend  them what happening to me, it can be more easy for them to help me.”

19-20. Le ɓe kwa pɔri maa-kɔrii Zuu-ŋai yeei nyii-ŋai dife pɔri ni lii polu Zerusalɛŋ?

¹⁹ We can also learn important lesson from the Jews who were not able to go back to Jerusalem. Some of them were not able to go back because of old age, serious sickness, or their family situation. But they were happy to help the Jews who were going back with some thing them they needed to build the temple. (Ezra 1:​5, 6) It look like 19 years after the first group of Israelite them came back to Jerusalem, those who were in Babylon were still sending contribution to Jerusalem.—Zech. 6:10.

²⁰ Even if we not able to do more for Jehovah now-now, we can be sure that Jehovah can see everything we do from our heart to make Him happy. How we know? In Zechariah time, Jehovah ask his prophet to make one crown from the gold and the silver them that those in Babylon use to send. (Zech. 6:11) This “grand crown” was always going to remind them about their willing contributions. (Zech. 6:​14, ftns.) We can be sure that Jehovah will not forget any effort we make to continue serving him, when things we not expecting happen to us.—Heb. 6:10.

21. Le ɓe pai kpɔnii kua a gɛɛ ku kukili tɔɔ Ziova ma kwa kɛ tɛɛi mɛni-kpanaŋ-ŋa su tinaa-tuɛ-pere?

²¹ Because we living in the last days, thing them we not expecting will continue to happen to us, and it will even get worse in the future. (2 Tim. 3:​1, 13) But we must not be worrying too much. Remember what Jehovah tell his people in Haggai time. He say: “I with you . . . Don’t be scary.” (Hag. 2:​4, 5) We too can be sure that Jehovah will be with us so long we try our best to do his will. Let apply the lesson them we na learn from Haggai and Zechariah prophecies and from Ezra example. When we do it, it will help us to continue to trust in Jehovah, even if thing them we not expecting happen to us in the future.