Haggai 2

1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying:

In the seventh [month], on the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by means of Haggai the prophet, saying,

2 “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and also to the remnant of the people. Ask them,

Do say to Zerubbabel the son of Shealthiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not appear to you like nothing in comparison?’

Who is there yet left among you that hath seen this house in its first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in comparison with it as nothing in your eyes?

4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work! For I am with you, declares the LORD of Hosts.

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord, and be strong O Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and do; [for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts, ]

5 This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt. And My Spirit remains among you; do not be afraid.”

[In accordance with] the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so [will] my spirit remain among you: fear nought.

6 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.

For thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Yet one thing more [will I do], it is but little, when I will cause to quake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

7 I will shake all the nations, and they will come with all their treasures, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Hosts.

And I will cause to quake all the nations, and the precious things of all the nations shall come [hither]: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

8 The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of Hosts.

Mine is the silver, and mine is the gold, saith the Lord of hosts.

9 The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says the LORD of Hosts. And in this place I will provide peace, declares the LORD of Hosts.”

Greater shall be the glory of this latter house than that of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

On the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by means of Haggai the prophet, saying,

11 “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling.

Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Do ask the priests concerning the law, saying,

12 If a man carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does that item become holy?’” “No,” replied the priests.

Lo! if one should carry holy flesh in the corner of his garment, and touch with his corner bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

13 So Haggai asked, “If one who is defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” “Yes, it becomes defiled,” the priests answered.

Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body shall touch any of these, will it become unclean? And the priests answered and said, It will become unclean.

14 Then Haggai replied, “So it is with this people and this nation before Me, declares the LORD, and so it is with every work of their hands; whatever they offer there is defiled.

Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so are all works of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

15 Now consider carefully from this day forward: Before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD,

And now direct, I pray you, your heart from this day and upward, before the time that a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord:

16 from that time, when one came expecting a heap of twenty ephahs of grain, there were but ten. When one came to the winepress to draw out fifty baths, there were but twenty.

Since those days were, when one came to a heap of sheaves of twenty [in number], and there were but ten; when one came to the winepress for to draw off fifty measures out of the vat, and there were but twenty.

17 I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you did not turn to Me, declares the LORD.

I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labors of your hands: yet ye [turned] not [back] to me, saith the Lord.

18 Consider carefully from this day forward—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid—consider carefully:

Direct, I pray you, your heart from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, direct your heart [to this].

19 Is there still seed in the barn? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet yielded fruit. But from this day on, I will bless you.”

Is the seed yet in the barn? yes, as yet the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree, have not brought forth; [but] from this day will I bless you.

20 For the second time that day, the twenty-fourth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to Haggai, saying,

And the word of the Lord came the second time unto Haggai on the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

21 “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth:

Speak to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah, saying, I will cause to quake the heavens and the earth;

22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their riders; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

23 On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will take you, My servant, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and I will make you like My signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of Hosts.”

On that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, the son of Shealthiel, my servant, saith the Lord, and I will place thee as a signet; for of thee have I made choice, saith the Lord of hosts.