10 On the (A)twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “The Lord of armies says this: ‘(B)Now ask the priests for a [a]ruling: 12 If someone carries (C)holy meat in the [b]fold of his garment, and touches bread with [c]this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “(D)If one who is unclean from a [d]corpse touches any of these things, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai responded and said, “‘(E)So 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Haggai 2:11 Lit law; or saying
  2. Haggai 2:12 Lit wing
  3. Haggai 2:12 Lit his wing
  4. Haggai 2:13 Lit soul

A Rebuke and a Promise

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests to decide this question, 12 ‘If one carries holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and touches with his skirt bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered, “No.” 13 Then said Haggai, “If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered, “It does become unclean.” 14 Then Haggai said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, says the Lord; and so with every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

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Blessings for a Defiled People

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,(A) 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(B) what the law says: 12 If someone carries consecrated meat(C) 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?(D)’”

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.(E)

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

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