Haggai was fifteen years old when, having sold his patrimony and given it to the poor, he went forth from Anathoth to serve Obadiah the prophet. Now the aged Obadiah, who knew the humility of Haggai, used him as a book wherewith to teach his disciples. Wherefore he oftentimes presented him raiment and delicate food, but Haggai ever sent back the messenger, saying: " Go, return to the house, for thou hast made a mistake. Shall Obadiah send me such things? Surely not: for he knoweth that I am good for naught, and only commit sins."
.......... And Obadiah, when he had anything bad, used to give it to the one next to Haggai, in order that he might see it. Whereupon Haggai, when he saw it, would say to himself: " Now, behold, Obadiah hath certainly forgotten thee. For this thing is suited to me alone, because I am worse than all. And there is nothing so vile but that, receiving it from Obadiah, by whose hands God granteth it to me, it were a treasure.
.......... " 'When Obadiah desired to teach any one how to pray, he would call Haggai and say: "Recite here thy prayer so that every one may hear thy words." Then Haggai would say:
"Lord God of Israel, with mercy look upon thy servant, who calleth upon thee, for thou hast created him. Righteous God, I cannot ask thee for the delights that thou grantest to thy faithful servants, because I do naught but sin. Wherefore, God, when thou wouldst give an infirmity to one of thy servants, remember me thy servant, for thine own glory."
.......... God so loved HAGGAI that to every one who in his time stood by him, God gave the ...........gift of prophecy. And nothing did Haggai ask in prayer that God withheld.

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Hosea, when he went to serve God, was prince over the tribe of Naphtali, and aged fourteen years. And so, having sold his patrimony and given it to the poor, he went to be a disciple of Haggai.
.......... Hosea was so inflamed with charity that concerning all that was asked of him he would say: " This hath God given me for thee, O brother; accept it, therefore!"
.......... For which cause he was soon left with two garments only, namely, a tunic of sackcloth and a mantle of skins. He sold, I say, his patrimony and gave it to the poor, because otherwise no one would be suffered to be called a Pharisee.
.......... Hosea had the book of Moses, which he read with great earnestness. Now one day Haggai said to him: " Hosea, who hath taken away from thee all that thou hadst?"
.......... He answered: " The book of Moses."
.......... It happened that a disciple of a neighboring prophet was fain to go to Jerusalem. But had not a mantle. Wherefore, having heard of the charity of Hosea, he went to find him, and said to him; "Brother, I would fain go to Jerusalem to perform a sacrifice to our God, but I have not a mantle. Wherefore I know not what to do. "
.......... When he heard this, Hosea said: " Pardon me, brother, for I have committed a great sin against thee; because God hath given me a mantle in order that I might give it to thee and I had forgotten. Now therefore accept it, and pray to God, for me. " The man, believing this, accepted Hosea's mantle and departed. And when Hosea went to the house of Haggai, Haggai said: "Who hath taken away thy mantle?"
.......... Hosea replied: "The book of Moses."
.......... Haggai was much pleased at hearing this, because he perceived the goodness of Hosea.
...........It happened that a poor man was stripped by robbers and left naked. Whereupon Hosea, seeing him, stripped off his own tunic and gave it to him that was naked; himself being left with a little piece of goat-skin over the privy parts. Wherefore, as he came not to see Haggai, the good Haggai thought that Hosea was sick. So he went with two disciples to find him: and they found him wrapped in palm-leaves. Then said Haggai: "Tell me now, wherefore hast thou not been to visit me?"

Prophet Hosea answered: "The book of Moses hath taken away my tunic, and I feared to come thither without a tunic." Whereupon Haggai gave him another tunic.
.......... It happened that a young man, seeing Hosea read the book of Moses, wept, and said: "I also would learn to read if I had a book. " Hearing which, Hosea gave him the book, saying: "Brother, this book is thine; for God gave it me in order that I should give it to one who, weeping, should desire a book."
.......... The man believed him, and accepted the book. There was a disciple of Haggai nigh to Hosea; and he, wishing to see if his own book was well written, went to visit Hosea. And said to him: "Brother, take thy book and let us see if it is even as mine."
.......... Hosea answered: "It hath been taken away from me." '
.......... "Who hath taken it from thee?" said the disciple.
.......... Hosea answered: "The book of Moses." Hearing which, the other went to Haggai and said to him: "Hosea hath gone mad, for he saith that the book of Moses hath taken away from him the book of Moses."
.......... Haggai answered: " Would to God, O brother, that I were mad in like manner, and all mad folk were like unto Hosea!" Now some robbers, having raided the land of Judaea, seized the son of a poor widow, who dwelt by Mount Carmel, where the Prophets and Pharisees abode. It chanced, accordingly, that Hosea having gone to cut wood met the woman, who was weeping. Thereupon he straightway began to weep; for whenever he saw any one laugh he laughed, and whenever he saw any one weep he wept. Hosea then asked the woman touching the reason of her weeping, and she told him all.
.......... Then said Hosea; "Come, sister, for God willeth to give thee thy son."
.......... And they went both of them to Hebron, where Hosea sold himself, and gave the money to the widow, who, not knowing how he had gotten that money, accepted it, and redeemed her son.
...........He who had bought Hosea took him to Jerusalem, where he had an abode, not knowing Hosea.
.......... Haggai, seeing that Hosea was not to be found, remained afflicted thereat. Whereupon the angel of God told him how he had been taken as a slave to Jerusalem.
.......... The good Haggai, when he heard this, wept for the absence of Hosea as a mother weepeth for the absence of her son. And having called two disciples he went to Jerusalem. And by the will of God, in the entrance of the city he met Hosea, who was laden with bread to carry it to the laborers in his master's vineyard.
.......... Having recognized him, Haggai said: "Son, how is it that thou hast forsaken thine old father, who seeketh thee mourning? "
.......... Hosea answered: "Father, I have been sold."
.......... Then said Haggai in wrath: "Who is that bad fellow who hath sold thee?" Hosea answered: "God forgive thee, O my father; for he who hath sold me is so good that if he were not in the world no one would become holy. " "Who then, is he?" said Haggai.
.......... Hosea answered: "O my father, it was the book of Moses."
.......... Then the good Haggai remained as it were beside himself, and said: "Would to God, my son, that the book of Moses would sell me also with all my children, even as it hath sold thee!"
.......... Haggai went with Hosea to the house of his master, who when he saw Haggai said: "Blessed be our God, who hath sent his prophet unto my house"; and he ran to kiss his hand. Then said Haggai: "Brother, kiss the hand of thy slave whom thou hast bought, for he is better than I. " And he narrated to him all that had passed; whereupon the master gave Hosea his freedom.
..........This is sufficient for man's salvation, the humility of Haggai, with the charity of Hosea
.......... fulfilleth all the Law and all the Prophets. Do you think I have come to destroy the Law ..........and the Prophets? Certain it is that God will not do this, seeing He is unchangeable and therefore that which God ordained as man's way of salvation, this has He caused all the Prophets to say."