Haggai 2
1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai.
On October 17 [of that year], Yahweh gave [me], the prophet Haggai, [another] message.
2 Say to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remaining people,
[The message was that I should] say this to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and to the other people who were still alive [in Jerusalem]:
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?
“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 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.
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 Just as I promised you when you left Egypt, my Spirit continues to be among you. Don't be afraid!
My Spirit remains among you, like I promised your [ancestors] when they left Egypt. [So] do not be afraid!’”
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.
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 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 [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 Almighty.
The silver and the gold [that they own] are [really] mine, [so they will bring them to me].
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.
[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 the reign of king Darius, the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai.
On December 18 of that year, Yahweh gave [another] message to [me], the prophet Haggai.
11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Ask the priests about the law.
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 think about what you're doing from this day on. Before a stone was laid on another stone in the house of the Lord,
Think about what has been happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of my temple.
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.
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 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 sent (blight/hot winds) and mildew and hail to destroy all your crops. But still you did not return to me.
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:
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 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 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 The Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month:
On that same day, Yahweh gave another message to me.
21 Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, I am going 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 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.
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, 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.
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.”
