The Builders Encouraged

On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by (A)Haggai the prophet, saying, “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, ‘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? 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. ‘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!’ 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. 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. ‘The (S)silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. ‘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

  1. Haggai 2:3 Lit house
  2. Haggai 2:3 Lit Is it not in your eyes like
  3. Haggai 2:3 Lit like it
  4. Haggai 2:4 Lit be strong
  5. Haggai 2:5 Lit word
  6. Haggai 2:5 Lit cut with
  7. Haggai 2:5 Or while My Spirit was standing
  8. Haggai 2:6 Lit it is a little
  9. Haggai 2:7 Another reading is the wealth of all nations will come
  10. Haggai 2:11 Lit law; or saying
  11. Haggai 2:12 Lit wing
  12. Haggai 2:12 Lit his wing
  13. Haggai 2:13 Lit soul
  14. Haggai 2:15 Lit set your heart
  15. Haggai 2:15 Or backward
  16. Haggai 2:16 Lit since they were
  17. Haggai 2:16 Lit troughs
  18. Haggai 2:17 As in LXX; MT but you were not to Me
  19. Haggai 2:18 Lit set your heart
  20. Haggai 2:18 Or backward
  21. Haggai 2:18 Lit set your heart
  22. Haggai 2:22 Or Gentiles
  23. Haggai 2:23 Or seal

in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: “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, and say: Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?(A) Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts,(B) according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear.(C) For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land,(D) and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts.(E) The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts, and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.”(F)

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 to the prophet Haggai, saying: 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests for a ruling:(G) 12 If one carries consecrated meat in the fold of one’s garment and with the fold touches bread, or stew, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy?” The priests answered, “No.”(H) 13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered, “Yes, it becomes unclean.”(I) 14 Haggai then said, “So is it with this people and with this nation before me, says the Lord, and so with every work of their hands; what they offer there is unclean.(J) 15 But now, consider what will come to pass from this day on. Before a stone was placed upon a stone in the Lord’s temple,(K) 16 how did you fare?[a] When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty.(L) 17 I struck you and every work of your hands with blight and mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me, says the Lord.(M) 18 Consider from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider:(N) 19 Is there any seed left in the barn? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still yield nothing? From this day on I will bless you.”

God’s Promise to Zerubbabel

20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying: I am about to shake the heavens and the earth(O) 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations and overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders shall fall, every one by the sword of a comrade.(P) 23 On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.”(Q)

Footnotes

  1. 2.16 Gk: Heb since they were

In the four and twentieth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king, they began.

And in the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Aggeus the prophet, saying:

Speak to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel the governor of Juda, and to Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and to the rest of the people, saying:

Who is left among you, that saw this house in its first glory? and how do you see it now? is it not in comparison to that as nothing in your eyes?

Yet now take courage, O Zorobabel, saith the Lord, and take courage, O Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and take courage, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord of hosts: and perform (for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts)

The word that I covenanted with you when you came out of the land of Egypt: and my spirit shall be in the midst of you: fear not.

For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Yet one little while, and I will move the heaven and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.

And I will move all nations: AND THE DESIRED OF ALL NATIONS SHALL COME: and I will fill this house with glory: saith the Lord of hosts.

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

10 Great shall be the glory of this last house more than of the first, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place I will give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

11 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius the king, the word of the Lord came to Aggeus the prophet, saying:

12 Thus saith the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests the law, saying:

13 If a man carry sanctified flesh in the skirt of his garment, and touch with his skirt, bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat: shall it be sanctified? And the priests answered, and said: No.

14 And Aggeus said: If one that is unclean by occasion of a soul touch any of all these things, shall it be defiled? And the priests answered, and said: It shall be defiled.

15 And Aggeus answered, and said: So is this people, and so is this nation before my face, saith the Lord, and so is all the work of their hands: and all that they have offered there, shall be defiled.

16 And now consider in your hearts, from this day and upward, before there was a stone laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord.

17 When you went to a heap of twenty bushels, and they became ten: and you went into the press, to press out fifty vessels, and they became twenty.

18 I struck you with a blasting wind, and all the works of your hand with the mildew and with hail, yet there was none among you that returned to me, saith the Lord.

19 Set your hearts from this day, and henceforward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month: from the day that the foundations of the temple of the Lord were laid, and lay it up in your hearts.

20 Is the seed as yet sprung up? or hath the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree as yet flourished? from this day I will bless you.

21 And the word of the Lord came a second time to Aggeus in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying:

22 Speak to Zorobabel the governor of Juda, saying: I will move both heaven and earth.

23 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and will destroy the strength of the kingdom of the Gentiles: and I will overthrow the chariot, and him that rideth therein: and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

24 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, I will take thee, O Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, my servant, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet, for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.