Haggai 2

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

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

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

Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

3 “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.

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

4 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.

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, says Jehovah, and be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, says Jehovah, and work. For I am with you, says Jehovah of hosts,

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

according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, and my Spirit abode among you. Fear ye not.

6 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.

For thus says Jehovah of hosts: Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.

7 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.

And I will shake all nations, and the precious things of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, says Jehovah of hosts.

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

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says Jehovah of hosts.

9 [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.”

The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says Jehovah of hosts, and in this place I will give peace, says Jehovah of hosts.

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

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

11 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]:

Thus says Jehovah of hosts: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

12 ‘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.”

If a man bears holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

13 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.”

Then Haggai said, If a man who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

14 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].

Then Haggai answered and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, says Jehovah, and so is every work of their hands. And that which they offer there is unclean.

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

And now, I pray you, consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of Jehovah.

16 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].

Through all that time, when a man came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When he came to the wine vat to draw out fifty vessels, there were but twenty.

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

I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the work of your hands, yet ye turned not to me, says Jehovah.

18 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].

Consider, I pray you, from this day and backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of Jehovah's temple was laid, consider it.

19 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!’”

Is the seed yet in the barn? Yea, the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not brought forth. From this day I will bless you.

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

And the word of Jehovah came the second time to Haggai in the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

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

Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth.

22 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.

And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. And I will overthrow the chariots, and those who ride in them. And the horses and their riders shall come down, each one by the sword of his brother.

23 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.”

In that day, says Jehovah of hosts, I will take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says Jehovah, and will make thee as a signet. For I have chosen thee, says Jehovah of hosts.