Haggai 2

1 In the seuenth moneth, in the one and twentieth day of the moneth, came the worde of the Lord by the ministerie of the Prophet Haggai, saying,

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

2 Speake nowe to Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel prince of Iudah, and to Iehoshua the sonne of Iehozadak the hie Priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

[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, that sawe this House in her first glory, and howe doe you see it nowe? is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it as nothing?

“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 Yet nowe be of good courage, O Zerubbabel, sayth the Lord, and be of good comfort, O Iehoshua, sonne of Iehozadak the hie Priest: and be strong, all ye people of the land, sayth the Lord, and doe it: for I am with you, sayth the Lord of hostes,

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 According to the worde that I couenanted with you, when ye came out of Egypt: so my Spirite shall remaine among you, feare ye not.

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

6 For thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Yet a litle while, and I will shake the heauens and the earth, 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 And I will moue all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this House with glory, sayth the Lord of hostes.

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 siluer is mine, and the golde is mine, sayth the Lord of hostes.

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

9 The glory of this last House shall be greater then the first, sayth the Lord of hostes: and in this place will I giue peace, sayth the Lord of hostes.

[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 In the foure and twentieth day of the ninth moneth, in the second yeere of Darius, came the worde of the Lord vnto the Prophet Haggai, saying,

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

11 Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Aske nowe the Priests concerning the Law, and say,

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 one beare holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt doe touch the bread, or the potage, or the wine, or oyle, or any meate, shall it be holy? And the Priests answered and said, 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 sayde Haggai, If a polluted person touch any of these, shall it be vncleane? And the Priests answered, and sayd, It shalbe vncleane.

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 answered Haggai, and sayd, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord: and so are all the workes of their hands, and that which they offer here, is vncleane.

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 And nowe, I pray you, consider in your mindes: from this day, and afore, euen afore a stone was layde vpon a stone 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 Before these things were, when one came to an heape of twentie measures, there were but ten: when one came to the wine presse for to drawe out fiftie vessels out of the presse, there were but twentie.

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 smote you with blasting, and with mildewe, and with haile, in all the labours of your hands: yet you turned not to me, saith 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, I pray you, in your mindes, from this day, and afore from the foure and twentieth day of the ninth moneth, euen from the day that the foundation of the Lords Temple was laide: consider it in your mindes.

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 the seede yet in the barne? as yet the vine, and the figtree, and the pomegranate, and the oliue tree hath not brought forth: from this day will I blesse 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 And againe the worde of the Lord came vnto Haggai in the foure and twentieth day of the moneth, saying,

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

21 Speake to Zerubbabel the prince of Iudah, and say, I wil shake the heauens and the earth,

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

22 And I will ouerthrowe the throne of kingdomes, and I wil destroy the strength of the kingdomes of the heathen, and I wil ouerthrowe the charets, and those that ride in them, and the horse and the riders shall come downe, euery one 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 In that day, saith the Lord of hostes, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel my seruant, the sonne of Shealtiel, sayth the Lord, and wil make thee as a signet: for I haue chosen thee, sayth the Lord of hostes.

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.”