Haggai 2

1 And in the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Aggeus the prophet, saying:

on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet,

2 Speak to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel the governor of Juda, and to Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and to the rest of the people, saying:

telling him to speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the rest of the people:

3 Who is left among you, that saw this house in its first glory? and how do you see it now? is it not in comparison to that as nothing in your eyes?

Who is left among you that saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Doesn’t it seem as though there is nothing there?

4 Yet now take courage, O Zorobabel, saith the Lord, and take courage, O Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and take courage, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord of hosts: and perform (for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts)

The Lord says: Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel, be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be strong, all you people of the land. The Lord says: Begin the work, for I am with you. The Lord of hosts says:

5 The word that I covenanted with you when you came out of the land of Egypt: and my spirit shall be in the midst of you: fear not.

When your ancestors left Egypt I made a promise to you, and I am still with you. Do not be afraid!

6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet one little while, and I will move the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.

The Lord of hosts says: In a little while, I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the land.

7 And I will move all nations: AND THE DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS SHALL COME: and I will fill this house with glory: saith the Lord of hosts.

And I will shake all nations, and the precious things of all nations shall come here; and I will fill this temple with glory. The Lord of hosts says:

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

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,

9 Great shall be the glory of this last house more than of the first, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place I will give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

The later glory of this temple shall be greater than the former. The Lord of hosts says: In this place I will grant prosperity. This is the message of the Lord of hosts.

10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius the king, the word of the Lord came to Aggeus the prophet, saying:

In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, this message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet:

11 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests the law, saying:

The Lord of hosts says: “Ask the priests for a ruling:

12 If a man carry sanctified flesh in the skirt of his garment, and touch with his skirt, bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat: shall it be sanctified? And the priests answered, and said: No.

‘If one carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and with that garment touches bread, or stew, or wine, or oil, or any food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered: “No.”

13 And Aggeus said: If one that is unclean by occasion of a soul touch any of all these things, shall it be defiled? And the priests answered, and said: It shall be defiled.

Then said Haggai, “If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” And the priests answered: “It would be unclean.”

14 And Aggeus answered, and said: So is this people, and so is this nation before my face, saith the Lord, and so is all the work of their hands: and all that they have offered there, shall be defiled.

Haggai replied: “So is this people and so is this nation before me, the Lord declares, and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.

15 And now consider in your hearts, from this day and upward, before there was a stone laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord.

Think back from this day, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord.

16 When you went to a heap of twenty bushels, and they became ten: and you went into the press, to press out fifty vessels, and they became twenty.

How were you? When you came to a heap of grain expecting twenty measures, there were only ten; when you came to the wine vat to draw out fifty vessels, there were only twenty.

17 I struck you with a blasting wind, and all the works of your hand with the mildew and with hail, yet there was none among you that returned to me, saith the Lord.

‘I struck all the work of your hands with blasting and blight, with mildew and with hail. Yet you didn’t turn to me,’ says the Lord,

18 Set your hearts from this day, and henceforward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month: from the day that the foundations of the temple of the Lord were laid, and lay it up in your hearts.

‘Think back from this day, think! From the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundations of the temple of the Lord were laid, and consider.

19 Is the seed as yet sprung up? or hath the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree as yet flourished? from this day I will bless you.

The seed is in the granary, but the vine and the fig tree and the pomegranate and the olive tree have not yet brought forth fruit. From this day will I bless you.’”

20 And the word of the Lord came a second time to Aggeus in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying:

This message from the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:

21 Speak to Zorobabel the governor of Juda, saying: I will move both heaven and earth.

Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I will shake the heavens and the earth;

22 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and will destroy the strength of the kingdom of the Gentiles: and I will overthrow the chariot, and him that rideth therein: and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one 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 the chariots, and those who ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, each by the sword of his fellow.

23 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I will take thee, O Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, my servant, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet, for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

In that day, the Lord of hosts says, I will take you, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, the Lord says, and will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, the Lord of hosts says.