A Call to Build the House of the Lord

1 In the second year of King Darius,^(A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai^(B) to Zerubbabel^(C) son of Shealtiel, governor^(D) of Judah, and to Joshua^(E) son of Jozadak,^[a](F) the high priest:^(G)

² This is what the Lord Almighty^(H) says: “These people^(I) say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.^(J)’”

³ Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^{(K) 4} “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,^(L) while this house remains a ruin?^(M)”

⁵ Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(N) to your ways. ⁶ You have planted much, but harvested little.^(O) You eat, but never have enough.^(P) You drink, but never have your fill.^(Q) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,^(R) only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

⁷ This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(S) to your ways. ⁸ Go up into the mountains and bring down timber^(T) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure^(U) in it and be honored,^(V)” says the Lord. ⁹ “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.^(W) What you brought home, I blew^(X) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,^(Y) while each of you is busy with your own house. ¹⁰ Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld^(Z) their dew^(AA) and the earth its crops.^{(AB) 11} I called for a drought^(AC) on the fields and the mountains,^(AD) on the grain, the new wine,^(AE) the olive oil^(AF) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.^(AG)”

¹² Then Zerubbabel^(AH) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant^(AI) of the people obeyed^(AJ) the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared^(AK) the Lord.

¹³ Then Haggai,^(AL) the Lord’s messenger,^(AM) gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with^(AN) you,” declares the Lord. ¹⁴ So the Lord stirred up^(AO) the spirit of Zerubbabel^(AP) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,^(AQ) the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant^(AR) of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, ¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.^(AS)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,^(AT) 2 ¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,^(AU) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^{(AV) 2} “Speak to Zerubbabel^(AW) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,^[b](AX) the high priest, and to the remnant^(AY) of the people. Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house^(AZ) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?^{(BA) 4} But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong,^(BB) Joshua son of Jozadak,^(BC) the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with^(BD) you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted^(BE) with you when you came out of Egypt.^(BF) And my Spirit^(BG) remains among you. Do not fear.’^(BH)

⁶ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while^(BI) I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,^(BJ) the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and what is desired^(BK) by all nations will come, and I will fill this house^(BL) with glory,^(BM)’ says the Lord Almighty. ⁸ ‘The silver is mine and the gold^(BN) is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁹ ‘The glory^(BO) of this present house^(BP) will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,^(BQ)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Blessings for a Defiled People

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,^(BR) 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^(BS) what the law says: ¹² If someone carries consecrated meat^(BT) 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?^(BU)’”

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.^(BV)”

¹⁴ Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people^(BW) and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer^(BX) there is defiled.

¹⁵ “‘Now give careful thought^(BY) to this from this day on^[c]—consider how things were before one stone was laid^(BZ) on another in the Lord’s temple.^{(CA) 16} When anyone came to a heap^(CB) of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat^(CC) to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.^{(CD) 17} I struck all the work of your hands^(CE) with blight,^(CF) mildew and hail,^(CG) yet you did not return^(CH) to me,’ declares the Lord.^{(CI) 18} ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought^(CJ) to the day when the foundation^(CK) 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^(CL) and the olive tree have not borne fruit.^(CM)

“‘From this day on I will bless^(CN) you.’”

Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring

²⁰ The word of the Lord came to Haggai^(CO) a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:^{(CP) 21} “Tell Zerubbabel^(CQ) governor of Judah that I am going to shake^(CR) the heavens and the earth. ²² I will overturn^(CS) royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.^(CT) I will overthrow chariots^(CU) and their drivers; horses and their riders^(CV) will fall, each by the sword of his brother.^(CW)

²³ “‘On that day,^(CX)’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant^(CY) Zerubbabel^(CZ) son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring,^(DA) for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(A) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[a]),^{(B) 24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[b](C)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(D) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(E) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^{(F) 28} Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(K) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(L) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet,^(M) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[d](N) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^{(O) 38} Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(P)

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^{(Q) 40} And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(R)

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

⁴¹ Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.^{(S) 42} When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. ⁴³ After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. ⁴⁴ Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. ⁴⁶ After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed^(T) at his understanding and his answers. ⁴⁸ When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother^(U) said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father^(V) and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

⁴⁹ “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”^{[e](W) 50} But they did not understand what he was saying to them.^(X)

⁵¹ Then he went down to Nazareth with them^(Y) and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.^{(Z) 52} And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.^(AA)