Command to Rebuild the Temple

In the second year of King Darius,[a](A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet(B) Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,(C) the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:(D)

“The Lord of Armies says this: These people say: The time has not come for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”(E)

The word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses,(F) while this house[b] lies in ruins?” Now, the Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully(G) about[c] your ways:

You have planted much
but harvested little.
You eat
but never have enough to be satisfied.
You drink
but never have enough to be happy.
You put on clothes
but never have enough to get warm.
The wage earner puts his wages
into a bag with a hole in it.”(H)

The Lord of Armies says this: “Think carefully about your ways. Go up into the hills, bring down lumber, and build the house; and I will be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but then it amounted to little. When you brought the harvest to your house, I ruined[d] it. Why?” This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “Because my house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.

10 So on your account,[e]
the skies have withheld the dew
and the land its crops.(I)
11 I have summoned a drought
on the fields and the hills,
on the grain, new wine, fresh oil,
and whatever the ground yields,
on people and animals,
and on all that your hands produce.”

The People’s Response

12 Then Zerubbabel(J) son of Shealtiel, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the entire remnant of the people(K) obeyed the Lord their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord.(L)

13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, delivered the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you(M)—this is the Lord’s declaration.”

14 The Lord roused the spirit(N) of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. They began work on the house of the Lord of Armies, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

Encouragement and Promise

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,(O) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people: ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem to you like nothing by comparison?(P) Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel—this is the Lord’s declaration.(Q) Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land—this is the Lord’s declaration. Work! For I am with you(R)—the declaration of the Lord of Armies. This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt,(S) and my Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.’”

For the Lord of Armies says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth,(T) the sea and the dry land.(U) I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,”(V) says the Lord of Armies. “The silver and gold belong to me”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. “The final glory of this house[f] will be greater than the first,”(W) says the Lord of Armies. “I will provide peace in this place”(X)—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

From Deprivation to Blessing

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: 11 “This is what the Lord of Armies says: Ask the priests for a ruling.(Y) 12 If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?” (Z)

The priests answered, “No.”

13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” (AA)

The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.”

14 Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before me—this is the Lord’s declaration. And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.

15 “Now from this day on, think carefully: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple, 16 what state were you in?[g] When someone came to a grain heap of twenty measures, it only amounted to ten; when one came to the winepress to dip fifty measures from the vat, it only amounted to twenty. 17 I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew,(AB) and hail,(AC) but you didn’t turn to me—this is the Lord’s declaration. 18 From this day on, think carefully;(AD) from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid; think carefully. 19 Is there still seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”(AE)

Promise to Zerubbabel

20 The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.(AF) 22 I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the Gentile kingdoms.(AG) I will overturn chariots and their riders. Horses and their riders will fall, each by his brother’s sword. 23 On that day”—this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies—“I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and make you like my signet ring,(AH) for I have chosen you.”(AI) This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 King of Persia reigned 522–486 BC
  2. 1:4 = the temple
  3. 1:5 Lit Place your heart on, also in v. 7
  4. 1:9 Lit blew on
  5. 1:10 Or So above you
  6. 2:9 Or The glory of this latter house
  7. 2:16 Hb obscure

The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

12 A great sign[a] appeared in heaven:(A) a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.(B) She was pregnant and cried out in labor and agony as she was about to give birth.(C) Then another sign[b] appeared in heaven: There was a great fiery red dragon(D) having seven heads and ten horns,(E) and on its heads were seven crowns.[c] Its tail swept away a third of the stars in heaven and hurled them to the earth.(F) And the dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she did give birth it might devour her child.(G) She gave birth to a Son, a male who is going to rule[d] all nations with an iron rod.(H) Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared by God,(I) to be nourished there[e] for 1,260 days.(J)

The Dragon Thrown Out of Heaven

Then war broke out in heaven: Michael(K) and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels also fought, but he could not prevail,(L) and there was no place for them in heaven any longer.(M) So the great dragon was thrown out—the ancient serpent,(N) who is called the devil and Satan,(O) the one who deceives the whole world.(P) He was thrown to earth, and his angels with him.(Q) 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say,

The salvation and the power
and the kingdom of our God
and the authority of his Christ
have now come,(R)
because the accuser(S) of our brothers and sisters,
who accuses them
before our God day and night,
has been thrown down.
11 They conquered him
by the blood of the Lamb(T)
and by the word of their testimony;(U)
for they did not love their lives
to the point of death.(V)
12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens,
and you who dwell in them!(W)
Woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has come down to you
with great fury,
because he knows his time is short.

The Woman Persecuted

13 When the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he persecuted[f] the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given two wings of a great eagle,(X) so that she could fly from the serpent’s presence to her place in the wilderness, where she was nourished for a time, times, and half a time.(Y) 15 From his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river flowing after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river that the dragon had spewed from his mouth. 17 So the dragon was furious with the woman and went off to wage war(Z) against the rest of her offspring[g](AA)—those who keep the commands of God(AB) and hold firmly to the testimony about Jesus.(AC)

The Beast from the Sea

18 The dragon[h] stood on the sand of the sea.[i]

Footnotes

  1. 12:1 Or great symbolic display; see Rv 12:3
  2. 12:3 Or another symbolic display
  3. 12:3 Or diadems
  4. 12:5 Or shepherd
  5. 12:6 Or God, that they might feed her there
  6. 12:13 Or pursued
  7. 12:17 Or seed
  8. 12:18 Or he; other mss read I
  9. 12:18 Some translations put Rv 12:18 either in Rv 12:17 or Rv 13:1.

10 All you have made will thank you, Lord;
the[a] faithful will bless you.(A)
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom
and will declare your might,(B)
12 informing all people of your mighty acts
and of the glorious splendor of your[b] kingdom.(C)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom;
your rule is for all generations.(D)
The Lord is faithful in all his words
and gracious in all his actions.[c](E)

14 The Lord helps all who fall;
he raises up all who are oppressed.[d](F)
15 All eyes look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.(G)
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. 145:10 Lit your
  2. 145:12 LXX, Syr, Jer; MT reads his
  3. 145:13 One Hb ms, DSS, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss omit The Lord is faithful in all his words and gracious in all his actions.
  4. 145:14 Lit bowed down

Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty
and remember his trouble no more.(A)
Speak up[a] for those who have no voice,[b](B)
for the justice of all who are dispossessed.[c]
Speak up, judge righteously,(C)
and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 31:8 Lit Open your mouth, also in v. 9
  2. 31:8 Lit who are mute
  3. 31:8 Lit all the sons of passing away

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