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Haggai 1-2
New American Standard Bible

Haggai Begins Temple Building

1 In the (A)second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet (B)Haggai to (C)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (D)governor of Judah, and to (E)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord of armies [a]says: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”’” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remains (F)desolate?” 5 Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “[b]Consider your ways! 6 You have (G)sown much, only to [c]harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for [d]anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.”

7 The Lord of armies says this: “[e]Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the [f]mountains, bring wood, and (H)rebuild the [g]temple, that I may be (I)pleased with it and be (J)honored,” says the Lord. 9 “(K)You [h]start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I (L)blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies. “It is because of My house which (M)remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the (N)sky has withheld [i]its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I called for a (O)drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on (P)mankind, on cattle, and on (Q)all the products of the labor of [j]your hands.”

12 Then (R)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (S)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, (T)obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, just as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people [k](U)showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the (V)messenger of the Lord, spoke [l]by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, “‘(W)I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of (X)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (Y)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the (Z)remnant of the people; and they came and (AA)worked 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 Darius the king.

The Builders Encouraged

2 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by (AB)Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak now to (AC)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (AD)governor of Judah, and to (AE)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the (AF)remnant of the people, saying, 3 ‘Who is (AG)left among you who saw this [m]temple in its (AH)former glory? And how do you see it now? [n]Does it not seem to you like nothing [o]in comparison? 4 But now [p](AI)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 (AJ)I am with you,’ declares the Lord of armies. 5 ‘As for the [q](AK)promise which I [r]made you when you came out of Egypt, [s]My (AL)Spirit remains in your midst; (AM)do not fear!’ 6 For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘(AN)Once more [t]in a (AO)little while, I am going to (AP)shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. 7 I will shake (AQ)all the nations; and [u]they will come with the (AR)wealth of all nations, and I will (AS)fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of armies. 8 ‘The (AT)silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. 9 ‘The latter (AU)glory of this house will be greater than the (AV)former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give (AW)peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.”

10 On the (AX)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: ‘(AY)Now ask the priests for a [v]ruling: 12 If someone carries (AZ)holy meat in the [w]fold of his garment, and touches bread with [x]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, “(BA)If one who is unclean from a [y]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, “‘(BB)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 [z](BC)consider from this day [aa]onward: before one (BD)stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord, 16 [ab]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 [ac]measures, there would be only twenty. 17 I struck you and every work of your hands with (BE)scorching wind, mildew, and hail; [ad]yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord. 18 ‘Do [ae](BF)consider from this day [af]onward, from the (BG)twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was (BH)founded, [ag]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 (BI)bless you.’”

20 Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the (BJ)twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to (BK)Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to (BL)shake the heavens and the earth. 22 And I will (BM)overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the (BN)power of the kingdoms of the [ah]nations; and I will (BO)overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the (BP)horses and their riders will go down, (BQ)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 [ai](BR)signet ring, for (BS)I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of armies.

Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:2 Lit says, saying
  2. Haggai 1:5 Lit Set your heart on
  3. Haggai 1:6 Lit bring in
  4. Haggai 1:6 Lit him
  5. Haggai 1:7 Lit Set your heart on
  6. Haggai 1:8 Lit mountain
  7. Haggai 1:8 Lit house
  8. Haggai 1:9 Lit turn to much
  9. Haggai 1:10 Lit from dew
  10. Haggai 1:11 Lit palms
  11. Haggai 1:12 Lit feared before
  12. Haggai 1:13 Or with the commissioned message
  13. Haggai 2:3 Lit house
  14. Haggai 2:3 Lit Is it not in your eyes like
  15. Haggai 2:3 Lit like it
  16. Haggai 2:4 Lit be strong
  17. Haggai 2:5 Lit word
  18. Haggai 2:5 Lit cut with
  19. Haggai 2:5 Or while My Spirit was standing
  20. Haggai 2:6 Lit it is a little
  21. Haggai 2:7 Another reading is the wealth of all nations will come
  22. Haggai 2:11 Lit law; or saying
  23. Haggai 2:12 Lit wing
  24. Haggai 2:12 Lit his wing
  25. Haggai 2:13 Lit soul
  26. Haggai 2:15 Lit set your heart
  27. Haggai 2:15 Or backward
  28. Haggai 2:16 Lit since they were
  29. Haggai 2:16 Lit troughs
  30. Haggai 2:17 As in LXX; MT but you were not to Me
  31. Haggai 2:18 Lit set your heart
  32. Haggai 2:18 Or backward
  33. Haggai 2:18 Lit set your heart
  34. Haggai 2:22 Or Gentiles
  35. Haggai 2:23 Or seal
Close NLT

Haggai 1-2
New Living Translation

A Call to Rebuild the Temple

1 On August 29[a] of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord gave a message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua[b] son of Jehozadak, the high priest.

2 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’”

3 Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? 5 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 6 You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! 8 Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. 9 You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. 10 It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. 11 I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”

Obedience to God’s Call

12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of God’s people began to obey the message from the Lord their God. When they heard the words of the prophet Haggai, whom the Lord their God had sent, the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave the people this message from the Lord: “I am with you, says the Lord!”

14 So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, 15 on September 21[c] of the second year of King Darius’s reign.

The New Temple’s Diminished Splendor

2 Then on October 17 of that same year,[d] the Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai. 2 “Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua[e] son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land: 3 ‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! 4 But now the Lord says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’

6 “For this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 9 The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

Blessings Promised for Obedience

10 On December 18[f] of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the Lord sent this message to the prophet Haggai: 11 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law: 12 ‘If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?’”

The priests replied, “No.”

13 Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?”

And the priests answered, “Yes.”

14 Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the Lord. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin. 15 Look at what was happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of the Lord’s Temple. 16 When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty. 17 I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy everything you worked so hard to produce. Even so, you refused to return to me, says the Lord.

18 “Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day[g] when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. 19 I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn.[h] You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.”

Promises for Zerubbabel

20 On that same day, December 18,[i] the Lord sent this second message to Haggai: 21 “Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and riders. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other.

23 “But when this happens, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the Lord, for I have chosen you. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

Footnotes

  1. 1:1a Hebrew On the first day of the sixth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. A number of dates in Haggai can be cross-checked with dates in surviving Persian records and related accurately to our modern calendar. This event occurred on August 29, 520 B.c.
  2. 1:1b Hebrew Joshua, a variant spelling of Jeshua; also in 1:12, 14.
  3. 1:15 Hebrew on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event occurred on September 21, 520 B.c.; also see note on 1:1a.
  4. 2:1 Hebrew on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This event (in the second year of Darius’s reign) occurred on October 17, 520 B.c.; also see note on 1:1a.
  5. 2:2 Hebrew Joshua, a variant spelling of Jeshua; also in 2:4.
  6. 2:10 Hebrew On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar (similarly in 2:18). This event occurred on December 18, 520 B.c.; also see note on 1:1a.
  7. 2:18 Or On this eighteenth day of December, think about the day.
  8. 2:19 Hebrew Is the seed yet in the barn?
  9. 2:20 Hebrew On the twenty-fourth day of the [ninth] month; see note on 2:10.
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