Haggai 2

1 In the seventh [month], in the twenty and first of the month, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

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

2 'Speak, I pray thee, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and unto Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, and unto the remnant of the people, saying:

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

3 Who among you hath been left that saw this house in its former honour? And what are ye seeing it now? Is it not, compared with it, as nothing in your eyes?

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?

4 And now, be strong, O Zerubbabel, An affirmation of Jehovah, And be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, And be strong, all ye people of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah, And do ye — (for I [am] with you, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts) —

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.

5 The thing that I covenanted with you, In your coming forth from Egypt, And My Spirit is remaining in your midst, fear not.

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

6 For thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Yet once more — it [is] a little, And I am shaking the heavens and the earth, And the sea, and the dry land,

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.

7 And I have shaken all the nations, And they have come [to] the desire of all the nations, And I have filled this house [with] honour, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

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.

8 Mine [is] the silver, and Mine the gold, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.

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

9 Greater is the honour of this latter house, Than of the former, said Jehovah of Hosts, And in this place do I give peace, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.'

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.

10 On the twenty and fourth of the ninth [month], in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

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.

11 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: 'Ask, I pray thee, the priests [of] the law, saying:

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

12 Lo, one doth carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and he hath come with his skirt against the bread, or against the pottage, or against the wine, or against the oil, or against any food — is it holy?' And the priests answer and say, 'No.'

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.”

13 And Haggai saith, 'If the unclean of body doth come against any of these, is it unclean?' And the priests answer and say, 'It is unclean.'

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.”

14 And Haggai answereth and saith, 'So [is] this people, and so [is] this nation before Me — an affirmation of Jehovah — and so [is] every work of their hands, and that which they bring near there — it is unclean.

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.”

15 And now, lay [it], I pray you, to your heart, From this day, and onwards, Before the laying of stone to stone in the temple of Jehovah.

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,

16 From that time [one] hath come to a heap of twenty, And it hath been ten, He hath come unto the wine-fat to draw out fifty purahs, And it hath been twenty.

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.

17 I have smitten you with blasting, And with mildew, and with hail — All the work of your hands, And there is none of you with Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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.

18 Set [it], I pray you, to your heart, from this day and onwards, from the twenty and fourth day of the ninth [month], even from the day that the temple of Jehovah hath been founded, set [it] to your heart.

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:

19 Is the seed yet in the barn? And hitherto the vine and the fig, And the pomegranate, and the olive-tree, Have not borne — from this day I bless.'

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.

20 And there is a word of Jehovah a second time unto Haggai, on the twenty and fourth of the month, saying:

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

21 'Speak unto Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying: I am shaking the heavens and the earth,

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

22 And have overturned the throne of kingdoms, And I have destroyed the strength of kingdoms of the nations, And overturned chariot and its charioteers, And come down have horses and their riders, Each by the sword of his brother.

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.

23 In that day — an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I take thee, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant — an affirmation of Jehovah, And have set thee as a signet, for on thee I have fixed, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts!

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.