¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.^(A)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,^(B) 2 ¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,^(C) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^{(D) 2} “Speak to Zerubbabel^(E) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,^[a](F) the high priest, and to the remnant^(G) of the people. Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house^(H) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?^{(I) 4} But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong,^(J) Joshua son of Jozadak,^(K) the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with^(L) you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted^(M) with you when you came out of Egypt.^(N) And my Spirit^(O) remains among you. Do not fear.’^(P)

⁶ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while^(Q) I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,^(R) the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and what is desired^(S) by all nations will come, and I will fill this house^(T) with glory,^(U)’ says the Lord Almighty. ⁸ ‘The silver is mine and the gold^(V) is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁹ ‘The glory^(W) of this present house^(X) will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,^(Y)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Psalm 43^[a]

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah^(A)(B)

¹⁸ Once when Jesus was praying^(C) in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”

¹⁹ They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^(D) others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”^(E)

²⁰ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.”^(F)

Jesus Predicts His Death

²¹ Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.^{(G) 22} And he said, “The Son of Man^(H) must suffer many things^(I) and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(J) and he must be killed^(K) and on the third day^(L) be raised to life.”^(M)

Psalm 103

Of David.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

¹⁰ Jacob left Beersheba^(A) and set out for Harran.^{(B) 11} When he reached a certain place,^(C) he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head^(D) and lay down to sleep. ¹² He had a dream^(E) in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.^{(F) 13} There above it^[a] stood the Lord,^(G) and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac.^(H) I will give you and your descendants the land^(I) on which you are lying.^{(J) 14} Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you^(K) will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south.^(L) All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.^{[b](M) 15} I am with you^(N) and will watch over you^(O) wherever you go,^(P) and I will bring you back to this land.^(Q) I will not leave you^(R) until I have done what I have promised you.^(S)”^(T)

¹⁶ When Jacob awoke from his sleep,^(U) he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” ¹⁷ He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place!^(V) This is none other than the house of God;^(W) this is the gate of heaven.”

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael^(A) and his angels fought against the dragon,^(B) and the dragon and his angels^(C) fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent^(D) called the devil,^(E) or Satan,^(F) who leads the whole world astray.^(G) He was hurled to the earth,^(H) and his angels with him.

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven^(I) say:

⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite^(A) in whom there is no deceit.”^(B)

⁴⁸ “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

⁴⁹ Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi,^(C) you are the Son of God;^(D) you are the king of Israel.”^(E)

⁵⁰ Jesus said, “You believe^[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” ⁵¹ He then added, “Very truly I tell you,^[b] you^[c] will see ‘heaven open,^(F) and the angels of God ascending and descending^(G) on’^[d] the Son of Man.”^(H)