Haggai 2

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

on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet,

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

telling him to speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the rest of the people:

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 temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Doesn’t it seem as though there is nothing there?

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.

The Lord says: Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel, be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, be strong, all you people of the land. The Lord says: Begin the work, for I am with you. The Lord of hosts says:

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

When your ancestors left Egypt I made a promise to you, and I am still with you. Do not be afraid!

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.

The Lord of hosts says: In a little while, I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the 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 will come here; and I will fill this temple with glory. The Lord of hosts says:

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,

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 later glory of this temple will be greater than the former. The Lord of hosts says: In this place I will grant prosperity. This is the message of the Lord 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, this message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet:

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]:

The Lord of hosts says: “Ask the priests for a ruling:

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 one carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and with that garment touches bread, or stew, or wine, or oil, or any food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered: “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 said Haggai, “If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” And the priests answered: “It would 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].

Haggai replied: “So is this people and so is this nation before me, the Lord declares, 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.

Think back from this day, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord.

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].

How were you? When you came to a heap of grain expecting twenty measures, there were only ten; when you came to the wine vat to draw out fifty vessels, there were only 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 struck all the work of your hands with blasting and blight, with mildew and with hail. Yet you didn’t turn to me,’ says the Lord,

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].

‘Think back from this day, think! From the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundations of the temple of the Lord were laid, and consider.

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!’”

The seed is in the granary, but the vine and the fig tree and the pomegranate and the olive tree have not yet brought forth fruit. From this day will I bless you.’”

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

This message from the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:

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

Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: 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 will come down, each by the sword of his fellow.

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, the Lord of hosts says, I will take you, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, the Lord says, and will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, the Lord of hosts says.