Encouragement and Promise

2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,^(A) the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: ² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people: ³ Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing to you?^{[a](B) 4} Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel”—this is the Lord’s declaration.^(C) “Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “Work! For I am with you”^(D)—the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. ⁵ “This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt,^(E) and My Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.”

⁶ For the Lord of Hosts says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth,^(F) the sea and the dry land.^{(G) 7} I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,”^(H) says the Lord of Hosts. ⁸ “The silver and gold belong to Me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts. ⁹ “The final glory of this house^[b] will be greater than the first,”^(I) says the Lord of Hosts. “I will provide peace in this place”^(J)—this is the declaration of the Lord of Hosts.