Haggai 2

1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, came the word of Yahweh, by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first [day] of the month, the Lord spoke by Aggaeus the prophet, saying,

2 Speak, I pray thee, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, pasha of Judah, and unto Jehoshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, —and unto the remnant of the people, saying: —

Speak now to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, of the tribe of Juda, and to Jesus the son of Josedec, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, saying,

3 Who is there among you that is left, that saw this house, in its former glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not, in comparison with that, as nothing, in your eyes?

Who [is there] of you that saw this house in her former glory? and how do you now look upon it, as it were nothing before your eyes?

4 Now, therefore—Be strong, O Zerubbabel, urgeth Yahweh, and be strong, O Jehoshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, urgeth Yahweh, and work; For, I, am with you, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.

Yet now be strong, O Zorobabel, says the Lord; and strengthen yourself, O Jesus the high priest, the son of Josedec; and let all the people of the land strengthen themselves, says the Lord, and work, for I am with you, says the Lord Almighty;

5 The very thing that I solemnized with you, when ye came forth out of the land of Egypt, That, my spirit abiding in your midst, ye should not fear.

and my Spirit remains in the midst of you; be of good courage.

6 For, thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Yet once, a little, it is, —and I am shaking the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land;

For thus says the Lord Almighty; Yet once I will shake the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land];

7 And I will shake all the nations, and the delight of all the nations, shall come in, —and I will fill this house with glory, saith Yahweh of hosts.

and I will shake all nations, and the choice [portions] of all the nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.

8 Mine is the silver and Mine the gold, Declareth Yahweh of hosts:

Mine is the silver, and mine the gold, says the Lord Almighty.

9 Greater shall be the last glory of this house than the first, saith Yahweh of hosts, —and, in this place, will I give prosperity, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.

For the glory of this house shall be great, the latter more than the former, says the Lord Almighty: and in this place will I give peace, says the Lord Almighty, even peace of soul for a possession to every one that builds, to raise up this temple.

10 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Yahweh unto Haggai the prophet, saying:

On the four and twentieth [day] of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Aggaeus the prophet, saying,

11 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, —I pray you, ask the priests a direction, saying:

Thus says the Lord Almighty; Inquire now of the priest [concerning] the law, saying,

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

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

13 Then said Haggai, If one who is defiled for a dead person touch any of these, shall it be defiled? And the priests answered and said, It shall be defiled.

And Aggaeus said, If a defiled person who is unclean by reason of a dead body, touch any of these, shall it be defiled? And the priests answered and said, It shall be defiled.

14 Then answered Haggai and said, So, is this people and, so, is this nation before me, Declareth Yahweh, and, so, is every work of their hands, —therefore, whatsoever they offer there, is, defiled.

And Aggaeus answered and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, says the Lord; and so are all the works of their hands: and whoever shall approach them, shall be defiled [because of their early burdens: they shall be pained because of their toils; and you have hated him that reproved in the gates].

15 Now, therefore, I pray you apply your heart, from this day and upwards, —So long as there had not been laid one stone upon another in the temple of Yahweh,

And now consider, I pray you, from this day and beforetime, before they laid a stone on a stone in the temple of the Lord, what manner of men you were.

16 So long were things thus, that, on coming unto a heap of twenty, then was it found to be ten, —on coming unto the vat to draw off fifty measures, then were there found to be twenty.

When you cast into the corn-bin twenty measures of barley, and there were [only] ten measures of barley: and you went to the vat to draw out fifty measures, and there were [but] twenty.

17 I smote you with blight and with mildew and with hail, in all the work of your hands, —Yet ye did not return unto me, Declareth Yahweh.

I struck you with barrenness, and with blasting, and all the works of your hands with hail; yet you returned not to me, says the Lord.

18 Apply your heart, I pray you, from this day and upwards, —from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day when was founded the temple of Yahweh, apply your heart:

Set your hearts now [to think] from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth [day] of the ninth month, even from the day when the foundation of the temple of the Lord was laid;

19 Is the seed yet in the store-house? Howbeit, though at present neither, the vine nor the fig-tree nor the pomegranate nor the olive tree, hath brought forth, from this very day, will I bless you.

consider in your hearts, whether [this] shall be known on the corn-floor, and whether yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-trees that bear no fruit [are with you]: from this day will I bless [you].

20 Then came the word of Yahweh, the second time unto Haggai, on the twenty-fourth of the month, saying:

And the word of the Lord came the second time to Aggaeus the prophet, on the four and twentieth [day] of the month, saying,

21 Speak thou unto Zerubbabel, pasha of Judah, saying, —I am shaking, the heavens and the earth;

Speak to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, of the tribe of Juda, saying, I shake the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry [land];

22 And I will overturn the throne of kingdoms, and will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, —and I will overturn the chariots and them who ride therein, and horses and their riders, shall come down, every man by the sword of his brother.

and I will overthrow the thrones of kings, and I will destroy the power of the kings of the nations; and I will overthrow chariots and riders; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword striving against his brother.

23 On that day, declareth Yahweh of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel—my servant, declareth Yahweh, and will set thee as a signet-ring; For, thee, have I chosen, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.

In that day, says the Lord Almighty, I will take you, O Zorobabel, the son of Salathiel, my servant, says the Lord, and will make you as a seal: for I have chosen you, says the Lord Almighty.