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a second message came from the Lord. It came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 21st day of the seventh month. The Lord said, “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Also speak to Joshua the high priest, the son of Jozadak. And speak to all my people who are still left alive. Ask them, ‘Did any of you who are here see how beautiful this temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It doesn’t look so good, does it? But be strong, Zerubbabel,’ announces the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua. Be strong, all of you people in the land,’ announces the Lord. ‘Start rebuilding. I am with you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all. ‘That is what I promised you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit continues to be with you. So do not be afraid.’ ”

The Lord says, “In a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth once more. I will also shake the ocean and the dry land. I will shake all the nations. Then what is desired by all nations will come to my temple. And I will fill the temple with glory,” says the Lord who rules over all. “The silver belongs to me. So does the gold,” announces the Lord who rules over all. “The new temple will be more beautiful than the first one was,” says the Lord. “And in this place I will bring peace,” announces the Lord who rules over all.

The Lord Will Make His People Pure and “Clean”

10 A third message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was king. 11 The Lord who rules over all speaks. He says, “Ask the priests what the law says. 12 Suppose someone carries holy meat in the clothes they are wearing. And the clothes touch some bread or stew. Or they touch some wine, olive oil or other food. Then do these things also become holy?”

The priests answered, “No.”

13 So Haggai said, “Suppose someone is made ‘unclean’ by touching a dead body. And then they touch one of these things. Does it become ‘unclean’ too?”

“Yes,” the priests replied. “It does.”

14 Then here is what Haggai said. “The Lord announces, ‘That is how I look at these people and this nation. Anything they do and anything they sacrifice on the altar is “unclean.”

15 “ ‘Think carefully about this from now on. Think about how things were before the Lord’s temple was built. This was before one stone was laid on top of another. 16 People went to get 20 measures of grain. But they could find only 10. They went to where the wine was stored to get 50 measures. But only 20 were there. 17 You worked very hard to produce all those things. But I struck them with rot, mold and hail. And you still did not return to me,’ announces the Lord. 18 It is the 24th day of the ninth month. From this day on, here is what you should think carefully about. Think about the day when the foundation of my temple was laid. 19 Are any seeds still left in your barns? Until now, your vines and fig trees have not produced any fruit. Your pomegranate and olive trees have not produced any either.

“ ‘But from this day on I will bless you.’ ”

The Lord Compares Zerubbabel to His Royal Ring

20 A final message from the Lord came to Haggai. This message also came on the 24th day of the ninth month. The Lord said, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah. Tell him I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will throw down royal thrones. I will smash the power of other kingdoms. I will destroy chariots and their drivers. Horses and their riders will fall. They will be killed by the swords of their relatives.

23 “ ‘Zerubbabel, at that time I will pick you,’ announces the Lord. ‘You are my servant,’ announces the Lord. ‘You will be like a ring that has my royal mark on it. I have chosen you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all.”

on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,(A) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:(B) “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, ‘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) 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. ‘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)

“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. 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. ‘The silver is mine and the gold(T) is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘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

  1. Haggai 2:2 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verse 4
  2. Haggai 2:15 Or to the days past

In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying,

Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:

According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,

11 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.

15 And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord:

16 Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord.

18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider it.

19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

20 And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake 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 heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

23 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.