Haggai 2

1 In the seventh month on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of Yahweh came 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 to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people. Say,

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 left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not like nothing in your eyes?

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

4 Now, be strong, Zerubbabel!—this is Yahweh's declaration— and be strong, high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak; and be strong, all you people in the land!—this is Yahweh's declaration— and work, for I am with you!—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.

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

5 This is the covenant that I established with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit remains with you. Do not fear!

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

6 For Yahweh of hosts says this: In a little while I will once again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land!

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

7 I will shake every nation, and every nation will bring their precious things to me, and I will fill this house with glory, says 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, saith the Lord Almighty.

8 The silver and gold are mine!—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.

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

9 The glory of this house will be greater in the future than at the beginning, says Yahweh of hosts, and I will give peace in this place!—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.”

For the glory of this house shall be great, the latter more than the former, saith the Lord Almighty: and in this place will I give peace, saith 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 day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came by 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 “Yahweh of hosts says this: Ask the priests concerning the law, and say,

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

12 'If a man carries meat that is set apart to Yahweh in the fold of his garment, and the fold touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy?'” 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 Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean because of death touches any of these things, do they become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “Yes, they become unclean.”

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 So Haggai answered and said, “So it is with this people and this nation before me!—this is Yahweh's declaration—and so it is with everything done by their hands. What they offer to me is unclean!

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

15 So now, think in your minds about the past leading up to this very day. Before stone was placed upon stone 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 ye were.

16 how was it then? When you came to a heap of twenty measures of grain, there were only ten; and when you came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures, there were only twenty.

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

17 I afflicted you and all the work of your hands with blight and mildew, but you still did not turn to me—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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

18 Consider from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of Yahweh's temple was laid. Consider it!

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 there still seed in the storehouse? The vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not produced! But from this 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 the word of Yahweh came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month and said,

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 to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, and say, 'I will shake 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 For I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations! I will overthrow the chariots and their riders; the horses and their riders will fall down, each one because of his brother's sword.

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—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, as my servant—this is Yahweh's declaration. I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you! —this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts!'”

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