The Future Glory of the Lord’s House

2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this message from the Lord came by^[a] Haggai the prophet: ² “Speak to Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, to Jehozadak’s son Joshua, the high priest, and to the rest^[b] of the people, asking, ³ ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And what does it look like now? From what you can see, it seems like nothing, doesn’t it? ⁴ Now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord. ‘Go to work, because I am with you,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. ⁵ ‘My Spirit continues to dwell among you, according to^[c] the covenant I established when you came out from Egypt. Don’t be afraid!’

⁶ “For this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Once more, in a little while, I will make the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land to shake. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and the One desired by all nations will come. Then I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

⁸ “The silver belongs to me, as does the gold,”^[d] declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. ⁹ “The glory of this present house will be greater than was the former,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.”

God’s Promise to His Sinful People

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day^[e] of the ninth month^[f] of the second year of the reign of^[g] King Darius, this message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet: ¹¹ “This is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: ‘Ask the priests about what the Law says: ¹² “If a man carries consecrated meat in the folds of his garment, and if his garment touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other edible thing,^[h] will these things become consecrated?”’”^[i]

The priests answered, “No.”

¹³ So Haggai responded, “If someone who is unclean^[j] because of contact with a dead body were to touch any of these things, would they become unclean?”^[k]

The priests responded, “They would be unclean.”^[l]

¹⁴ Then Haggai answered, “‘That’s how I look at this people and this nation,’ declares the Lord. ‘And that’s how it is with everything they undertake^[m] and with what they offer there—it is unclean.^{[n] 15} Pay attention^[o] from now on to how things used to be before one stone had been laid upon another in the Temple of the Lord. ¹⁶ When someone came to a pile of grain to get 20 measures,^[p] there were only ten. Or when someone approached the wine press to siphon out 50 measures, there were only 20. ¹⁷ I punished you and everything that you undertook^[q]—with scorching wind, with mildew, and with hail, and you still did not return^[r] to me,’ declares the Lord. ¹⁸ ‘Pay attention from now on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,^[s] when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Pay attention! ¹⁹ Is there seed left in the granary? Up until now, neither the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, nor the olive tree has borne fruit, but from this very day I will bless you.’”^[t]

God’s Promise to Zerubbabel

²⁰ This message from the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: ²¹ “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah. Tell him, ‘I’m going to shake the heavens and the earth. ²² I will overthrow royal thrones. I will annihilate the strength of national governments. I will overthrow chariots along with those who drive them. Both^[u] horses and their riders will fall, each one by means of his comrade’s weapon.^{[v] 23} On that day,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will set you in place like a signet ring. For I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.”