Haggai 2

1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai.

In the seventh month, on the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of Jehovah by the prophet Haggai, saying:

2 Say to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remaining people,

Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Josedech, the high-priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: —

3 Is there anyone left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it seem like nothing to you?

Who is there left among you, That saw this house In its former glory? And what do ye see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes?

4 So then be strong, Zerubbabel! Be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, high priest! Be strong, all you people who remain in the land! Work, for I am with you, says the Lord Almighty.

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith Jehovah; And be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high-priest; And be strong, O all ye people of the land, saith Jehovah, and work! For I am with you, saith Jehovah of hosts.

5 Just as I promised you when you left Egypt, my Spirit continues to be among you. Don't be afraid!

This is the covenant which I made with you when ye came out of Egypt, And my spirit remaineth among you: Fear ye not!

6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: Soon I will shake the heavens and the earth once more, and the sea and the dry land.

For thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Yet once more, in a short time, I will shake the heavens and the earth, The sea and the dry land.

7 I will shake all the nations, and the one desired by all of the nations will come and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.

I will shake all the nations, And here shall come the precious things of all the nations; And I will fill this house with glory, Saith Jehovah of hosts.

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.

Mine is the silver and mine the gold, Saith Jehovah of hosts;

9 The glory of this second house will be greater than the first, says the Lord Almighty, and I will bring peace in this place. So declares the Lord Almighty.

Greater shall be the glory of this latter house than of the former, Saith Jehovah of hosts; And in this place will I give peace, Saith Jehovah of hosts.

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of the reign of king Darius, the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai.

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

11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Ask the priests about the law.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Ask now the law from the priests, saying,

12 If someone carries some meat from a holy sacrifice in a fold of their clothes and that fold touches some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or any other kind of food, does that food become holy?” And the priests answered, “No.”

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

13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes unclean by touching a dead body and then touches any of these foods, do they become unclean?” The priests answered, “Yes, it does become unclean.”

Then said Haggai, If a man unclean by a dead body touch any of these things, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

14 Then Haggai responded, “This is how it is with these people, and with the nation before me, says the Lord. All that they do, every offering they bring, is unclean.”

Then answered Haggai and said: — So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith Jehovah; And so is all the work of their hands; And that which they offer there is unclean.

15 Now think about what you're doing from this day on. Before a stone was laid on another stone in the house of the Lord,

And now, I pray you, consider [[how it hath gone with you]] From that day and upward, From the time before one stone was laid upon another in the temple of Jehovah.

16 how was it for you? You expected a store of grain with twenty measures but only found ten. You thought you could empty out fifty measures from the winepress but there was only twenty.

Since that time one hath come to a heap of twenty measures, And there were but ten; One hath come to a vat to draw out fifty vessels from the wine-press, And there were but twenty;

17 I struck with blight and mildew and hail everything you were working so hard for, but even so you refused to come back to me, says the Lord.

I have smitten you with blasting, with mildew, and with hail, Even all the works of your hands; Yet none among you hath turned to me, saith Jehovah.

18 Think about what you're doing from this day on, today the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month when a foundation was laid for the house of the Lord. Think about it:

Consider, I pray you, From that day and upward, From the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, From the day when the foundation of the temple of Jehovah was laid, Consider ye!

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

Is there yet seed in the barn? Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig-tree, and pomegranate, and the olive-tree have not borne. But from this day will I bless you.

20 The Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month:

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

21 Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and say: — I will shake the heavens and the earth,

22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the nations' kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and their riders. The horses and riders will fall, and the men will kill each other by the sword.

And I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms, And I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, And I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them, And the horses and their riders shall come down, One by the sword of the other.

23 On that day, says the Lord, I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, my servant, and make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you. So declares the Lord Almighty.

In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, I will take thee, O Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, my servant, saith Jehovah, And keep thee as a signet-ring; For thee have I chosen, saith Jehovah of hosts.