Haggai 2:10-19

Holman Christian Standard Bible

From Deprivation to Blessing

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet: ¹¹ “This is what the Lord of Hosts says: Ask the priests for a ruling.^{(A) 12} If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?”^(B)

The priests answered, “No.”

¹³ Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?”^(C)

The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.”

¹⁴ Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before Me”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.

¹⁵ “Now, reflect back from this day: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple, ¹⁶ what state were you in?^[a] When someone came to a grain heap of 20 measures, it only amounted to 10; when one came to the winepress to dip 50 measures from the vat, it only amounted to 20. ¹⁷ I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew,^(D) and hail,^(E) but you didn’t turn to Me”—this is the Lord’s declaration. ¹⁸ “Consider carefully^(F) from this day forward; from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid; consider it carefully. ¹⁹ Is there still seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”^(G)