Haggai 2

1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai.

In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying,

2 Say to Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remaining people,

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

3 Is there anyone left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it seem like nothing to you?

Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do all of you see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

4 So then be strong, Zerubbabel! Be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, high priest! Be strong, all you people who remain in the land! Work, for I am with you, says the Lord Almighty.

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land, says the LORD, and work: for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts:

5 Just as I promised you when you left Egypt, my Spirit continues to be among you. Don't be afraid!

According to the word that I covenanted with you when all of you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remains among you: fear all of you not.

6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: Soon I will shake the heavens and the earth once more, and the sea and the dry land.

For thus says the LORD 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 all the nations, and the one desired by all of the nations will come and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord Almighty.

And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.

8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty.

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

9 The glory of this second house will be greater than the first, says the Lord Almighty, and I will bring peace in this place. So declares the Lord Almighty.

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

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of the reign of king Darius, the Lord sent a message through the prophet Haggai.

In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,

11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Ask the priests about the law.

Thus says the LORD of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

12 If someone carries some meat from a holy sacrifice in a fold of their clothes and that fold touches some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or any other kind of food, does that food become holy?” And the priests answered, “No.”

If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes unclean by touching a dead body and then touches any of these foods, do they become unclean?” The priests answered, “Yes, it does become unclean.”

Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

14 Then Haggai responded, “This is how it is with these people, and with the nation before me, says the Lord. All that they do, every offering they bring, is unclean.”

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

15 Now think about what you're doing from this day on. Before a stone was laid on another stone in the house of the Lord,

And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:

16 how was it for you? You expected a store of grain with twenty measures but only found ten. You thought you could empty out fifty measures from the winepress but there was only twenty.

Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat in order to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

17 I struck with blight and mildew and hail everything you were working so hard for, but even so you refused to come back to me, says the Lord.

I stroke you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet all of you turned not to me, says the LORD.

18 Think about what you're doing from this day on, today the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month when a foundation was laid for the house of the Lord. Think about it:

Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider it.

19 the seed is still in the barn. The vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate tree, and the olive tree have not yet given fruit. But from this day on I will bless you.

Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, has not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

20 The Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month:

And again the word of the LORD came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

21 Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

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

22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the nations' kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots and their riders. The horses and riders will fall, and the men will kill each other by the sword.

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

23 On that day, says the Lord, I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, my servant, and make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you. So declares the Lord Almighty.

In that day, says the LORD of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the LORD, and will make you as a signet: for I have chosen you, says the LORD of hosts.