Haggai 2

The Builders Encouraged

1On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by 1Haggai the prophet saying, 2“Speak now to 2Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, 3governor of Judah, and to 4Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the 5remnant of the people saying, 3‘Who is 6left among you who saw this 7temple in its 8former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not 9seem to you like nothing 10in comparison? 4But now 1112take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for 13I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts. 5‘As for the 1415promise which I 16made you when you came out of Egypt, 17My 18Spirit is abiding in your midst; 19do not fear!’ 6For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘20Once more 21in a 22little while, I am going to 23shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7I will shake 24all the nations; and 25they will come with the 26wealth of all nations, and I will 27fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 8‘The 28silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts. 9‘The latter 29glory of this house will be greater than the 30former,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give 31peace,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”

10On the 32twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘33Ask now the priests for a 34ruling: 12If a man carries 35holy meat in the 36fold of his garment, and touches bread with 37this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” 13Then Haggai said, “38If one who is unclean from a 39corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” 14Then Haggai said, “‘40So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. 15But now, do 4142consider from this day 43onward: before one 44stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord, 1645from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty 46measures, there would be only twenty. 17I smote you and every work of your hands with 47blasting wind, mildew and hail; 48yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord. 18‘Do 4950consider from this day 51onward, from the 52twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was 53founded, 54consider: 19Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will 55bless you.’”

20Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the 56twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21“Speak to 57Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to 58shake the heavens and the earth. 22I will 59overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the 60power of the kingdoms of the 61nations; and I will 62overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the 63horses and their riders will go down, 64everyone by the sword of another.’ 23‘On that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a 6566signet ring, for 67I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of hosts.