Haggai 2

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

On October 17 [of that year], Yahweh gave [me], the prophet Haggai, [another] message.

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,

[The message was that I should] say this to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and to the other people who were still alive [in Jerusalem]:

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?’

“Do any of you remember how glorious our former temple was? [If you do, ] what does it look like to you now? It must seem like nothing at all.

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.

But now the Commander of the armies of angels says to [all of you], to Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of you people who live in this nation, ‘[Do not be discouraged; ] be strong [DOU], and work [to build this new temple], because I will (be with/help) you.

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.”

My Spirit remains among you, like I promised your [ancestors] when they left Egypt. [So] do not be afraid!’”

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.

This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: “Soon I will shake the sky and the earth, the oceans and the land again.

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.

I will shake [again the people of] all the nations, and as a result they will bring their treasures [to this temple]. I will fill this temple with [my] glory.

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

The silver and the gold [that they own] are [really] mine, [so they will bring them to me].

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.”

[Then] this temple will be more glorious than the former/previous [temple was]. And I will cause things to go well for you all. [That will surely happen because I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, have said it.”

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 December 18 of that year, Yahweh gave [another] message to [me], the prophet Haggai.

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

This is what the Commander of the armies of angels said to me: “Ask the priests [this question] about what is written in the laws [of Moses about sacrifices]:

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.

‘If one [of you priests takes from the altar some] meat that was sacrificed and is carrying it in his robes, if his robe touches [some] bread or stew or wine or [olive] oil or some other food, does that food also become (holy/acceptable for a sacrifice)?’” [When he said that to] the priests, they replied, “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 Haggai asked them, “If someone becomes unacceptable to God by touching a corpse, and [then he] touches any of those foods, will the food [also] become unacceptable to God?” The priests replied, “Yes.”

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 Haggai replied, “Yahweh says [this]: ‘It is the same with you people and with this nation. Everything that you do and [all the sacrifices] that you all offer are unacceptable to me [because of the sins that you have committed].

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

Think about what has been happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of my temple.

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.

When you expected [to harvest] 20 bushels [of grain, you harvested] only ten bushels. When someone went to a [big] wine vat to get 50 gallons [of wine], there were only 20 [gallons in the vat].

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 sent (blight/hot winds) and mildew and hail to destroy all your crops. But still you did not return to me.

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:

Starting from this day, December 18, the day when [you] have laid the foundation of my [new] temple, continue to think carefully [about your situation].

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 there now [RHQ] [any grain] seed left in your barns? [No, because you have eaten the small amount that you harvested]. And there is no fruit on your grapevines and fig trees and pomegranate [trees] and olive trees. But, from now on, I will 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,

On that same day, Yahweh gave another message to me.

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

[He said, ] “Tell Zerubbabel the governor of Judah that I am going to shake the sky 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.

I will end the power of the kings of [many] nations [DOU]. I will cause their chariots and their drivers, their horses and [the soldiers] who are riding on them to be destroyed. [What will happen is that I will cause the soldiers] to kill each other with their swords.

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.”

Zerubbabel, you serve [me well]. So [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, declare that [like kings wear] signet rings [to show that they have authority to rule people], I will appoint you and cause you [to have authority to rule]. I will do that because I have chosen you. [That will surely happen because I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, have said it.”