Haggai 2

1 In the seventh [month], on the twenty-first of the month, a word of YHWH has been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying,

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

2 “Now speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

Say now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, ruler of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the rest of the people,

3 Who among you has been left that saw this house in its former glory? And what are you seeing it now? Is it not, compared with it, as nothing in your eyes?

Who is there still among you who saw this house in its first glory? and how do you see it now? is it not in your eyes as nothing?

4 And now, be strong, O Zerubbabel,” A declaration of YHWH, “And be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, And be strong, all you people of the land,” A declaration of YHWH, “And do, for I [am] with you,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts.

But now be strong, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and get to work: for I am with you, says the Lord of armies:

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

The agreement which I made with you when you came out of Egypt, and my spirit, are with you still; have no fear.

6 For thus said YHWH 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,

For this is what the Lord of armies has said: In a short time I will make a shaking of the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land;

7 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] glory,” said YHWH of Hosts.

And I will make a shaking of all the nations, and the desired things of all nations will come: and I will make this house full of my glory, says the Lord of armies.

8 “The silver [is] Mine, and the gold [is] Mine,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts.

The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the Lord of armies.

9 “Greater is the glory of this latter house, Than of the former,” said YHWH of Hosts, “And I give peace in this place,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts.

The second glory of this house will be greater than the first, says the Lord of armies: and in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of armies.

10 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth [month], in the second year of Darius, a word of YHWH has been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying,

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

11 Thus said YHWH of Hosts: “Now ask the priests of the Law, saying,

These are the words of the Lord of armies: Put now a point of law to the priests, saying,

12 Behold, [when] one carries holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and he has come with his skirt against the bread, or against the stew, or against the wine, or against the oil, or against any food—is it holy?” And the priests answer and say, “No.”

If anyone has some holy flesh folded in the skirt of his robe, will bread or soup or wine or oil or any other food be made holy if touched by his skirt? And the priests answering said, No.

13 And Haggai says, “If the unclean of body comes against any of these, is it unclean?” And the priests answer and say, “It is unclean.”

Then Haggai said, Will any of these be made unclean by the touch of one who is unclean through touching a dead body? And the priests answering said, It will be made unclean.

14 And Haggai answers and says, “So [is] this people, and so [is] this nation before Me,” a declaration of YHWH, “and so [is] every work of their hands, and that which they bring near there—it is unclean.

Then Haggai said, So is this people and so is this nation before me, says the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and the offering they give there is unclean.

15 And now, please lay [it] to your heart, From this day and onward, Before the laying of stone to stone in the temple of YHWH.

And now, give thought, looking back from this day to the time before one stone was put on another in the Temple of the Lord:

16 From that time [one] has come to a heap of twenty, And it has been ten, He has come to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures, And it has been twenty.

How, when anyone came to a store of twenty measures, there were only ten: when anyone went to the wine-store to get fifty vessels full, there were only twenty.

17 I have struck you with blasting, And with mildew, and with hail—All the work of your hands, And there is none of you with Me,” A declaration of YHWH.

And I sent burning and wasting and a rain of ice-drops on all the works of your hands; but still you were not turned to me, says the Lord.

18 “Now set [it] to your heart, from this day and onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth [month], even from the day that the temple of YHWH has been founded, set [it] to your heart.

And now, give thought; looking on from this day, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the time when the base of the Lord's house was put in its place, give thought to it.

19 Is the seed yet in the barn? And until now the vine and the fig, And the pomegranate, and the olive-tree, Have not borne—from this day I bless.”

Is the seed still in the store-house? have the vine and the fig-tree, the pomegranate and the olive-tree, still not given their fruit? from this day I will send my blessing on you.

20 And there is a word of YHWH a second time to Haggai, on the twenty-fourth of the month, saying,

And the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai, on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

21 “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, I am shaking the heavens and the earth,

Say to Zerubbabel, ruler of Judah, I will make a shaking of the heavens and the earth,

22 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 horses and their riders have come down, Each by the sword of his brother.

Overturning the power of kingdoms; and I will send destruction on the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; by me war-carriages will be overturned with those who are in them; and the horses and the horsemen will come down, everyone by the sword of his brother.

23 In that day,” a declaration of YHWH of Hosts, “I take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,” A declaration of YHWH, “And have set you as a signet, For I have fixed on you,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts!

In that day, says the Lord of armies, I will take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you as a jewelled ring: for I have taken you to be mine, says the Lord of armies.