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], in the twenty and first of the month, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand 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,

'Speak, I pray thee, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and unto Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, and unto the remnant 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 among you hath been left that saw this house in its former honour? And what are ye seeing it now? Is it not, compared 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.

And now, be strong, O Zerubbabel, An affirmation of Jehovah, And be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, And be strong, all ye people of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah, And do ye — (for I [am] with you, An affirmation of Jehovah 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.”

The thing that I covenanted with you, In your coming forth from Egypt, And My Spirit is remaining in your midst, fear not.

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 said Jehovah of Hosts: Yet once more — it [is] a little, And I am shaking 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 have shaken all the nations, And they have come [to] the desire of all the nations, And I have filled this house [with] honour, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

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

Mine [is] the silver, and Mine the gold, An affirmation of Jehovah 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 is the honour of this latter house, Than of the former, said Jehovah of Hosts, And in this place do I give peace, An affirmation of Jehovah 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 twenty and fourth of the ninth [month], in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

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

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: 'Ask, I pray thee, the priests [of] 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, one doth carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and he hath come with his skirt against the bread, or against the pottage, or against the wine, or against the oil, or against any food — is it holy?' And the priests answer and say, '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.

And Haggai saith, 'If the unclean of body doth come against any of these, is it unclean?' And the priests answer and say, 'It is 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.

And Haggai answereth and saith, 'So [is] this people, and so [is] this nation before Me — an affirmation of Jehovah — and so [is] every work of their hands, and that which they bring near there — it 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, lay [it], I pray you, to your heart, From this day, and onwards, Before the laying of stone to stone in the temple of Jehovah.

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.

From that time [one] hath come to a heap of twenty, And it hath been ten, He hath come unto the wine-fat to draw out fifty purahs, And it hath been 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 have smitten you with blasting, And with mildew, and with hail — All the work of your hands, And there is none of you with Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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:

Set [it], I pray you, to your heart, from this day and onwards, from the twenty and fourth day of the ninth [month], even from the day that the temple of Jehovah hath been founded, set [it] to your heart.

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? And hitherto the vine and the fig, And the pomegranate, and the olive-tree, Have not borne — from this day I bless.'

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

And there is a word of Jehovah a second time unto Haggai, on the twenty and fourth of the month, saying:

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

'Speak unto Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying: I am shaking 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 have overturned the throne of kingdoms, And I have destroyed the strength of kingdoms of the nations, And overturned chariot and its charioteers, And come down have horses and their riders, Each 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.”

In that day — an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I take thee, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant — an affirmation of Jehovah, And have set thee as a signet, for on thee I have fixed, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts!