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Haggai 2
Common English Bible
Haggai 2
Common English Bible
Encouraging the people
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord’s word came through Haggai the prophet: 2 Say to Judah’s governor Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, and to the chief priest Joshua, Jehozadak’s son, and to the rest of the people:
3 Who among you is left who saw this house in its former glory?
How does it look to you now?
Doesn’t it appear as nothing to you?
4 So now, be strong, Zerubbabel, says the Lord.
Be strong, High Priest Joshua, Jehozadak’s son,
and be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord.
Work, for I am with you, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
5 As with our agreement when you came out of Egypt,
my spirit stands in your midst.
Don’t fear.
6 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
In just a little while, I will make the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land quake.
7 I will make all the nations quake.
The wealth of all the nations will come.
I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
8 The silver and the gold belong to me, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
9 This house will be more glorious than its predecessor, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
I will provide prosperity in this place, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
Cleansing the work
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius, the Lord’s word came to Haggai the prophet:
11 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
Go ahead and ask the priests for a ruling:
12 “If someone lifts holy meat into the hem of one’s garment and that hem touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any kind of food, will it be made holy?”
And the priests responded, “No.”
13 Haggai said,
“If an unclean person touches any of these things, will it become unclean?”
And the priests responded, “It will be unclean.”
14 Then Haggai responded:
Thus has this people and this nation become to me, says the Lord,
and everything that they do with their hands.
Whatever they offer is unclean.
15 So now, take it to heart from this day forward.
Before stone was placed on stone in the Lord’s temple,
16 when one came to the granary for twenty measures,
there were only ten;
and when one came to the wine vat for fifty measures,
there were only twenty.
17 I struck you—everything you do with your hands—
with blight and mildew and hail;
but you didn’t return to me.[a]
18 So take it to heart from this day forward,
from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month.
Take it to heart from the day when the foundation for the Lord’s temple was laid.
19 Is the seed yet in the granary—
or the vine, the fig tree, or the pomegranate—
or has the olive tree not borne fruit?
From this day forward, I will bless you.
Royal expectations
20 And the Lord’s word came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth of the month, saying:
21 Speak to Judah’s governor Zerubbabel:
I am about to make the heavens and the earth quake.
22 I will overthrow the thrones of the kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the nations.[b]
I will overthrow chariot and rider;
horses and riders will fall.
Each one will fall by the sword of his companion.
23 On that day, says the Lord of heavenly forces:
I will take you, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, my servant, says the Lord;
I will make you like a signet ring
because I have chosen you, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
Footnotes
- Haggai 2:17 Or but you weren’t with me.
- Haggai 2:22 Or of the kingdoms of the nations
Haggai 2
New International Version
Haggai 2
New International Version
2 1 on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,(A) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:(B) 2 “Speak to Zerubbabel(C) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a](D) the high priest, and to the remnant(E) of the people. Ask them, 3 ‘Who of you is left who saw this house(F) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?(G) 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong,(H) Joshua son of Jozadak,(I) the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with(J) you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5 ‘This is what I covenanted(K) with you when you came out of Egypt.(L) And my Spirit(M) remains among you. Do not fear.’(N)
6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while(O) I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,(P) the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired(Q) by all nations will come, and I will fill this house(R) with glory,(S)’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold(T) is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9 ‘The glory(U) of this present house(V) will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,(W)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Blessings for a Defiled People
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,(X) in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests(Y) what the law says: 12 If someone carries consecrated meat(Z) in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?(AA)’”
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”
“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.(AB)”
14 Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people(AC) and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer(AD) there is defiled.
15 “‘Now give careful thought(AE) to this from this day on[b]—consider how things were before one stone was laid(AF) on another in the Lord’s temple.(AG) 16 When anyone came to a heap(AH) of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat(AI) to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.(AJ) 17 I struck all the work of your hands(AK) with blight,(AL) mildew and hail,(AM) yet you did not return(AN) to me,’ declares the Lord.(AO) 18 ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought(AP) to the day when the foundation(AQ) of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate(AR) and the olive tree have not borne fruit.(AS)
“‘From this day on I will bless(AT) you.’”
Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring
20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai(AU) a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:(AV) 21 “Tell Zerubbabel(AW) governor of Judah that I am going to shake(AX) the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overturn(AY) royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.(AZ) I will overthrow chariots(BA) and their drivers; horses and their riders(BB) will fall, each by the sword of his brother.(BC)
23 “‘On that day,(BD)’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant(BE) Zerubbabel(BF) son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring,(BG) for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Footnotes
- Haggai 2:2 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verse 4
- Haggai 2:15 Or to the days past
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.