Haggai 2

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

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, came the word of Yahweh, by the hand of 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, I pray thee, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, pasha of Judah, and unto Jehoshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, —and unto 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 there among you that is left, that saw this house, in its former glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not, in comparison with that, as nothing, in your eyes?

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.

Now, therefore—Be strong, O Zerubbabel, urgeth Yahweh, and be strong, O Jehoshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, urgeth Yahweh, and work; For, I, am with you, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.

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

The very thing that I solemnized with you, when ye came forth out of the land of Egypt, That, my spirit abiding in your midst, ye should not fear.

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, saith Yahweh of hosts, Yet once, a little, it is, —and I am shaking 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 the nations, and the delight of all the nations, shall come in, —and I will fill this house with glory, saith Yahweh of hosts.

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

Mine is the silver and Mine the gold, Declareth Yahweh 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.”

Greater shall be the last glory of this house than the first, saith Yahweh of hosts, —and, in this place, will I give prosperity, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.

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

On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Yahweh unto 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, saith Yahweh of hosts, —I pray you, ask the priests a direction, 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 carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and then toucheth with his skirt bread or a cooked dish or wine or oil or any food, shall it be 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 said Haggai, If one who is defiled for a dead person touch any of these, shall it be defiled? And the priests answered and said, It shall be defiled.

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 answered Haggai and said, So, is this people and, so, is this nation before me, Declareth Yahweh, and, so, is every work of their hands, —therefore, whatsoever they offer there, is, defiled.

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

Now, therefore, I pray you apply your heart, from this day and upwards, —So long as there had not been laid one stone upon another in the temple of Yahweh,

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].

So long were things thus, that, on coming unto a heap of twenty, then was it found to be ten, —on coming unto the vat to draw off fifty measures, then were there found to be 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 blight and with mildew and with hail, in all the work of your hands, —Yet ye did not return unto me, Declareth Yahweh.

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].

Apply your heart, I pray you, from this day and upwards, —from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day when was founded the temple of Yahweh, apply your heart:

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 store-house? Howbeit, though at present neither, the vine nor the fig-tree nor the pomegranate nor the olive tree, hath brought forth, from this very day, will I bless you.

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

Then came the word of Yahweh, the second time unto Haggai, on the twenty-fourth 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 thou unto Zerubbabel, pasha of Judah, saying, —I am shaking, 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 overturn the throne of kingdoms, and will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, —and I will overturn the chariots and them who ride therein, and horses and their riders, shall come down, every man 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.”

On that day, declareth Yahweh of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel—my servant, declareth Yahweh, and will set thee as a signet-ring; For, thee, have I chosen, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.