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,

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

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,

[The message was that I should] say this to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and to the other people who were still alive [in Jerusalem]:

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?

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

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

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,

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 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.

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,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts.

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

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.

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

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

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

Think about what has been happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of my temple.

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.

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 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.

I sent (blight/hot winds) and mildew and hail to destroy all your crops. But still you did not return to me.

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.

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

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

21 “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, I am shaking 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 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.

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,” 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!

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.”