Haggai 2:1-13

English Standard Version

The Coming Glory of the Temple

2 ^(A)In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: ²“Speak now to ^(B)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to ^(C)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, ³^(D)‘Who is left among you who saw this house ^(E)in its former glory? How do you see it now? ^(F)Is it not as nothing in your eyes? ⁴Yet now ^(G)be strong, O ^(H)Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. ^(I)Be strong, O ^(J)Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ^(K)Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. ^(L)Work, for ^(M)I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, ⁵^(N)according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. ^(O)My Spirit remains in your midst. ^(P)Fear not. ⁶For thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(Q)Yet once more, in a little while, ^(R)I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. ⁷And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and ^(S)I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. ⁸^(T)The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. ⁹^(U)The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And ^(V)in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

Blessings for a Defiled People

¹⁰^(W)On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, ^(X)in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, ¹¹“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(Y)Ask the priests about the law: ¹²‘If someone carries ^(Z)holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, ^(AA)“No.” ¹³Then Haggai said, ^(AB)“If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body ^(AC)touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.”