Haggai 2
New American Standard Bible
The Builders Encouraged
2 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by (A)Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak now to (B)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (C)governor of Judah, and to (D)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the (E)remnant of the people, saying, 3 ‘Who is (F)left among you who saw this [a]temple in its (G)former glory? And how do you see it now? [b]Does it not seem to you like nothing [c]in comparison? 4 But now [d](H)take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for (I)I am with you,’ declares the Lord of armies. 5 ‘As for the [e](J)promise which I [f]made you when you came out of Egypt, [g]My (K)Spirit remains in your midst; (L)do not fear!’ 6 For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘(M)Once more [h]in a (N)little while, I am going to (O)shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7 I will shake (P)all the nations; and [i]they will come with the (Q)wealth of all nations, and I will (R)fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of armies. 8 ‘The (S)silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. 9 ‘The latter (T)glory of this house will be greater than the (U)former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give (V)peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.”
10 On the (W)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: ‘(X)Now ask the priests for a [j]ruling: 12 If someone carries (Y)holy meat in the [k]fold of his garment, and touches bread with [l]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, “(Z)If one who is unclean from a [m]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, “‘(AA)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. 15 But now, do [n](AB)consider from this day [o]onward: before one (AC)stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord, 16 [p]from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty [q]measures, there would be only twenty. 17 I struck you and every work of your hands with (AD)scorching wind, mildew, and hail; [r]yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘Do [s](AE)consider from this day [t]onward, from the (AF)twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was (AG)founded, [u]consider: 19 Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will (AH)bless you.’”
20 Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the (AI)twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to (AJ)Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to (AK)shake the heavens and the earth. 22 And I will (AL)overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the (AM)power of the kingdoms of the [v]nations; and I will (AN)overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the (AO)horses and their riders will go down, (AP)every one by the sword of another.’ 23 ‘On that day,’ declares the Lord of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a [w](AQ)signet ring, for (AR)I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of armies.
Footnotes
- Haggai 2:3 Lit house
- Haggai 2:3 Lit Is it not in your eyes like
- Haggai 2:3 Lit like it
- Haggai 2:4 Lit be strong
- Haggai 2:5 Lit word
- Haggai 2:5 Lit cut with
- Haggai 2:5 Or while My Spirit was standing
- Haggai 2:6 Lit it is a little
- Haggai 2:7 Another reading is the wealth of all nations will come
- Haggai 2:11 Lit law; or saying
- Haggai 2:12 Lit wing
- Haggai 2:12 Lit his wing
- Haggai 2:13 Lit soul
- Haggai 2:15 Lit set your heart
- Haggai 2:15 Or backward
- Haggai 2:16 Lit since they were
- Haggai 2:16 Lit troughs
- Haggai 2:17 As in LXX; MT but you were not to Me
- Haggai 2:18 Lit set your heart
- Haggai 2:18 Or backward
- Haggai 2:18 Lit set your heart
- Haggai 2:22 Or Gentiles
- Haggai 2:23 Or seal
Haggai 2
Common English Bible
Encouraging the people
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord’s word came through Haggai the prophet: 2 Say to Judah’s governor Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, and to the chief priest Joshua, Jehozadak’s son, and to the rest of the people:
3 Who among you is left who saw this house in its former glory?
How does it look to you now?
Doesn’t it appear as nothing to you?
4 So now, be strong, Zerubbabel, says the Lord.
Be strong, High Priest Joshua, Jehozadak’s son,
and be strong, all you people of the land, says the Lord.
Work, for I am with you, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
5 As with our agreement when you came out of Egypt,
my spirit stands in your midst.
Don’t fear.
6 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
In just a little while, I will make the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land quake.
7 I will make all the nations quake.
The wealth of all the nations will come.
I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
8 The silver and the gold belong to me, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
9 This house will be more glorious than its predecessor, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
I will provide prosperity in this place, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
Cleansing the work
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius, the Lord’s word came to Haggai the prophet:
11 This is what the Lord of heavenly forces says:
Go ahead and ask the priests for a ruling:
12 “If someone lifts holy meat into the hem of one’s garment and that hem touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any kind of food, will it be made holy?”
And the priests responded, “No.”
13 Haggai said,
“If an unclean person touches any of these things, will it become unclean?”
And the priests responded, “It will be unclean.”
14 Then Haggai responded:
Thus has this people and this nation become to me, says the Lord,
and everything that they do with their hands.
Whatever they offer is unclean.
15 So now, take it to heart from this day forward.
Before stone was placed on stone in the Lord’s temple,
16 when one came to the granary for twenty measures,
there were only ten;
and when one came to the wine vat for fifty measures,
there were only twenty.
17 I struck you—everything you do with your hands—
with blight and mildew and hail;
but you didn’t return to me.[a]
18 So take it to heart from this day forward,
from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month.
Take it to heart from the day when the foundation for the Lord’s temple was laid.
19 Is the seed yet in the granary—
or the vine, the fig tree, or the pomegranate—
or has the olive tree not borne fruit?
From this day forward, I will bless you.
Royal expectations
20 And the Lord’s word came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth of the month, saying:
21 Speak to Judah’s governor Zerubbabel:
I am about to make the heavens and the earth quake.
22 I will overthrow the thrones of the kingdoms;
I will destroy the strength of the nations.[b]
I will overthrow chariot and rider;
horses and riders will fall.
Each one will fall by the sword of his companion.
23 On that day, says the Lord of heavenly forces:
I will take you, Zerubbabel, Shealtiel’s son, my servant, says the Lord;
I will make you like a signet ring
because I have chosen you, says the Lord of heavenly forces.
Footnotes
- Haggai 2:17 Or but you weren’t with me.
- Haggai 2:22 Or of the kingdoms of the nations
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Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible