Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close LEB

Haggai 2
Lexham English Bible

A Promise to Rebuild

2 In the seventh month on the twenty-first day, the word of Yahweh came through[a] Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3 ‘Who among you is left that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it seem like nothing to you?[b] 4 ‘But now take courage,[c] Zerubbabel,’ declares[d] Yahweh. ‘Take courage,[e] Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and take courage,[f] all the people of the land,’ declares[g] Yahweh. ‘Do the work, because I am with you,’ declares[h] Yahweh of hosts, 5 ‘according to the promise[i] that I covenanted[j] with you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit is with you;[k] do not be afraid.’ 6 For thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations so that the treasure of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house[l] with glory,’ says Yahweh of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares[m] Yahweh of hosts. 9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says Yahweh of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace’ declares[n] Yahweh of hosts.’”

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Haggai, saying, 11 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Ask now the priests for a ruling:[o] 12 If a man carries[p] consecrated meat in the hem of his garment, and his hem touches bread, or stew, or wine, or olive oil, or any kind of food, will it become holy?’” The priests answered, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from contact with a corpse touches any of these, will it become unclean?” The priests answered, “Yes, it will be become unclean.” 14 And Haggai answered and said, “‘So it is with this people, and with this nation before me,’ declares[q] Yahweh, ‘and so it is with every kind of work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. 15 But now, please consider[r] from this day forward, before one stone was placed on another in the temple of Yahweh, 16 from that time when[s] one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten, and when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures,[t] there were only twenty. 17 I struck you with blight, and with plant mildew, and hail, all the work of your hands. But you did not come back to me,’[u] declares[v] Yahweh. 18 ‘Please consider[w] from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid,[x] consider:[y] 19 Is there still seed in the store chamber? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still produce nothing? From this day forward I will bless you.’”

The Coming Kingdom

20 And the word of Yahweh came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month saying, 21 “Say to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the military strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, every one by the sword of another! 23 ‘On that day,’ declares[z] Yahweh of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ declares[aa] Yahweh, ‘and I will make you a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares[ab] Yahweh of hosts.”

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 2:1 Literally “came through the hand of”
  2. Haggai 2:3 Literally “in your eyes”
  3. Haggai 2:4 Or “be strong”
  4. Haggai 2:4 Literally “a declaration of”
  5. Haggai 2:4 Or “Be strong”
  6. Haggai 2:4 Or “be strong”
  7. Haggai 2:4 Literally “a declaration of”
  8. Haggai 2:4 Literally “a declaration of”
  9. Haggai 2:5 Literally “the word”
  10. Haggai 2:5 Literally “I cut”
  11. Haggai 2:5 Literally “is standing in your midst”
  12. Haggai 2:7 That is, the temple
  13. Haggai 2:8 Literally “a declaration of”
  14. Haggai 2:9 Literally “a declaration of”
  15. Haggai 2:11 Or “a torah,” or “a law”
  16. Haggai 2:12 Literally “lifts”
  17. Haggai 2:14 Literally “a declaration of”
  18. Haggai 2:15 Literally “set your heart”
  19. Haggai 2:16 Or “from their being,” or “from the time they were then”
  20. Haggai 2:16 Hebrew “measure”
  21. Haggai 2:17 Literally “there were none of you to me”
  22. Haggai 2:17 Literally “a declaration of”
  23. Haggai 2:18 Literally “Please set your heart”
  24. Haggai 2:18 Or “placed,” or “set”
  25. Haggai 2:18 Literally “set your heart”
  26. Haggai 2:23 Literally “a declaration of”
  27. Haggai 2:23 Literally “a declaration of”
  28. Haggai 2:23 Literally “a declaration of”
Close NLT

Haggai 2
New Living Translation

The New Temple’s Diminished Splendor

2 Then on October 17 of that same year,[a] the Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai. 2 “Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua[b] son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land: 3 ‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! 4 But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’

6 “For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

Blessings Promised for Obedience

10 On December 18[c] of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord sent this message to the prophet Haggai: 11 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law: 12 ‘If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?’”

The priests replied, “No.”

13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?”

And the priests answered, “Yes.”

14 Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin. 15 Look at what was happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of the Lord’s Temple. 16 When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty. 17 I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy everything you worked so hard to produce. Even so, you refused to return to me, says the Lord.

18 “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day[d] when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. 19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn.[e] You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.”

Promises for Zerubbabel

20 On that same day, December 18,[f] the Lord sent this second message to Haggai: 21 “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and riders. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other.

23 “But when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Hebrew on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event (in the second year of Darius’s reign) occurred on October 17, 520 B.c.; also see note on 1:1a.
  2. 2:2 Hebrew Joshua, a variant spelling of Jeshua; also in 2:4.
  3. 2:10 Hebrew On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar (similarly in 2:18). This event occurred on December 18, 520 B.c.; also see note on 1:1a.
  4. 2:18 Or On this eighteenth day of December, think about the day.
  5. 2:19 Hebrew Is the seed yet in the barn?
  6. 2:20 Hebrew On the twenty-fourth day of the [ninth] month; see note on 2:10.
Next
Haggai 1
Zechariah 1
Next
dropdown
Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.