Haggai 2

in the seventh, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of God was by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying,

“Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, \*

‘Who is the one left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How are you seeing it now? Compared with that, {is it} not like nothing in your eyes?

But now, be strong, Zerubbabel!’—the declaration of God—‘and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, you high priest, and be strong, all people of the land!’—the declaration of God—‘and work, for I {am} with you!’—the declaration of God of Armies.

‘The word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit remains in your midst. Do not fear!’ \*

For thus says God of Armies: ‘Yet once, it {will be} a little {while}, and I {will be} shaking the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land! 7 And I will shake all of the nations, and they will come {with} the treasure of all of the nations, and I will fill this house {with} glory,’ says God of Armies. \*

‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine’—the declaration of God of Armies.

‘The latter glory of this house {will be} greater than the former,’ says God of Armies, ‘and in this place I will give peace’—the declaration of God of Armies.” \*

On the twenty-fourth of the ninth, in the second year of Darius, the word of God was to Haggai the prophet, saying,

“Thus says God of Armies: ‘Now ask the priests {about} the law, saying,

“If a man carries holy flesh in the fold of his garment and he touches with his fold upon bread or upon stew or upon wine or upon oil or upon any food, does it become holy?”’” And the priests answered and said, “No.” \*

Then Haggai said, “If the unclean by a person touches any of these, will it be unclean?” And the priests answered and said, “It will be unclean.”

And Haggai answered and said, “‘Thus {is} this people and thus {is} this nation to my face!’—the declaration of God—‘and thus {is} every work of their hands, and what they offer there, it {is} unclean! \*

And now, do set your hearts from before until this day, from before the placing of stone upon stone in the temple of God.

From their being, one came to a heap of twenty but there were ten; one came to a vat to draw out fifty {from} the press but there were twenty.

I struck you with blight and with mildew and with hail, all of the work of your hands, but it was not you to me’—the declaration of God. \*

‘Now set your hearts from before until this day, from the day that the temple of God was founded until this twenty-fourth day of the ninth. Set your hearts!

{Is} the seed yet in the storehouse? And the vine and the fig tree and the pomegranate tree and the olive tree have not yet produced! From this day I will bless {you}!’” \*

And the word of God was to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth of the month, saying,

“Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, saying, ‘I {am} shaking the heavens and the earth. 22 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 chariot and its rider, and the horses and their riders will fall, a man by the sword of his brother. \* 23 On that day’—the declaration of God of Armies—‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant’—the declaration of God—‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you’—the declaration of God of Armies!”