Haggai 2
Young's Literal Translation
2 In the seventh [month], in the twenty and first of the month, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:
2 `Speak, I pray thee, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and unto Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, and unto the remnant of the people, saying:
3 Who among you hath been left that saw this house in its former honour? And what are ye seeing it now? Is it not, compared with it, as nothing in your eyes?
4 And now, be strong, O Zerubbabel, An affirmation of Jehovah, And be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, And be strong, all ye people of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah, And do ye -- (for I [am] with you, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts) --
5 The thing that I covenanted with you, In your coming forth from Egypt, And My Spirit is remaining in your midst, fear not.
6 For thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Yet once more -- it [is] a little, And I am shaking the heavens and the earth, And the sea, and the dry land,
7 And I have shaken all the nations, And they have come [to] the desire of all the nations, And I have filled this house [with] honour, Said Jehovah of Hosts.
8 Mine [is] the silver, and Mine the gold, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.
9 Greater is the honour of this latter house, Than of the former, said Jehovah of Hosts, And in this place do I give peace, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.'
10 On the twenty and fourth of the ninth [month], in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:
11 Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: `Ask, I pray thee, the priests [of] the law, saying:
12 Lo, one doth carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and he hath come with his skirt against the bread, or against the pottage, or against the wine, or against the oil, or against any food -- is it holy?' And the priests answer and say, `No.'
13 And Haggai saith, `If the unclean of body doth come against any of these, is it unclean?' And the priests answer and say, `It is unclean.'
14 And Haggai answereth and saith, `So [is] this people, and so [is] this nation before Me -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and so [is] every work of their hands, and that which they bring near there -- it is unclean.
15 And now, lay [it], I pray you, to your heart, From this day, and onwards, Before the laying of stone to stone in the temple of Jehovah.
16 From that time [one] hath come to a heap of twenty, And it hath been ten, He hath come unto the wine-fat to draw out fifty purahs, And it hath been twenty.
17 I have smitten you with blasting, And with mildew, and with hail -- All the work of your hands, And there is none of you with Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.
18 Set [it], I pray you, to your heart, from this day and onwards, from the twenty and fourth day of the ninth [month], even from the day that the temple of Jehovah hath been founded, set [it] to your heart.
19 Is the seed yet in the barn? And hitherto the vine and the fig, And the pomegranate, and the olive-tree, Have not borne -- from this day I bless.'
20 And there is a word of Jehovah a second time unto Haggai, on the twenty and fourth of the month, saying:
21 `Speak unto Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying: I am shaking the heavens and the earth,
22 And have overturned the throne of kingdoms, And I have destroyed the strength of kingdoms of the nations, And overturned chariot and its charioteers, And come down have horses and their riders, Each by the sword of his brother.
23 In that day -- an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I take thee, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And have set thee as a signet, for on thee I have fixed, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts!
Haggai 2
New English Translation
The Glory to Come
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,[a] the Lord’s message came through[b] the prophet Haggai again: 2 “Ask the following questions to[c] Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak,[d] and the remnant of the people: 3 ‘Who among you survivors saw the former splendor of this temple?[e] How does it look to you now? Isn’t it nothing by comparison?’ 4 Even so, take heart, Zerubbabel,” decrees the Lord. “Take heart, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And take heart all you citizens of the land,”[f] decrees the Lord, “and begin to work. For I am with you,” decrees the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 “Do not fear, because I made a promise to your ancestors when they left Egypt, and my Spirit[g] even now testifies to you.”[h] 6 Moreover, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: “In just a little while[i] I will once again shake the sky[j] and the earth, the sea and the dry ground. 7 I will also shake up all the nations, and they[k] will offer their treasures;[l] then I will fill this temple with glory.” So the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said. 8 “The silver and gold will be mine,” decrees the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 9 “The future splendor of this temple will be greater than that of former times,”[m] the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared. “And in this place I will give peace,” decrees the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.[n]
The Promised Blessing
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year,[o] the Lord’s message came to the prophet Haggai:[p] 11 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said, ‘Ask the priests about the law.[q] 12 If someone carries holy meat in a fold of his garment and that fold touches bread, a boiled dish, wine, olive oil, or any other food, will that item become holy?’”[r] The priests answered, “It will not.” 13 Then Haggai asked, “If a person who is ritually unclean because of touching a dead body[s] comes in contact with one of these items, will it become unclean?” The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”
14 Then Haggai responded, “‘The people of this nation are unclean in my sight,’[t] decrees the Lord. ‘And so is all their effort; everything they offer is also unclean.[u] 15 Now therefore reflect carefully on the recent past,[v] before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple.[w] 16 From that time[x] when one came expecting a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures from it, there were only twenty. 17 I struck all the products of your labor[y] with blight, disease, and hail, and yet you brought nothing to me,’[z] says the Lord. 18 ‘Think carefully[aa] about the past: from today, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,[ab] to the day work on the temple of the Lord was resumed,[ac] think about it.[ad] 19 The seed is still in the storehouse, isn’t it? And the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not produced. Nevertheless, from today on I will bless you.’”
Zerubbabel the Chosen One
20 Then the Lord spoke to Haggai[ae] a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:[af] 21 “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah: ‘I am ready[ag] to shake the sky[ah] and the earth. 22 I will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the might of earthly kingdoms.[ai] I will overthrow chariots and those who ride them, and horses and their riders will fall as people kill one another.[aj] 23 On that day,’[ak] says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’[al] says the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring,[am] for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”[an]
Footnotes
- Haggai 2:1 tn Heb “In the seventh [month], on the twenty-first day of the month.”sn The seventh month was the month Tishri, according to the modern (Julian) calendar October 17, 520 b.c. The twenty-first day of Tishri marked the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Num 29:32-34). It also coincided with the date 440 years earlier (960 b.c.) when Solomon finished building his temple (1 Kgs 6:38; 8:2).
- Haggai 2:1 tc The MT has בְּיַד (beyad, “by the hand of” = “through” [so NAB, NIV, NLT] as in 1:1, 3); the Murabba’at Dead Sea text reads אֶל (ʾel, “to”), perhaps because the following command is given to the prophet.
- Haggai 2:2 tn Heb “say to”; NAB “Tell this to.”
- Haggai 2:2 tn Many English versions have “Joshua (the) son of Jehozadak the high priest,” but this is subject to misunderstanding. See the note on the name “Jehozadak” at the end of v. 1.
- Haggai 2:3 tn Heb “this house in its earlier splendor”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “in its former glory.”sn Solomon’s temple was demolished in 586 b.c., 66 years prior to Haggai’s time. There surely would have been some older people who remembered the former splendor of that magnificent structure and who lamented the contrast to the small, unimpressive temple they were building (see Ezra 3:8-13).
- Haggai 2:4 tn Heb “the people of the land” (עַם הָאָרֶץ, ʿam haʾarets); this is a technical term referring to free citizens as opposed to slaves.
- Haggai 2:5 sn My Spirit. It is theologically anachronistic to understand “Spirit” here in the NT sense as a reference to third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit; nevertheless during this postexilic period the conceptual groundwork was being laid for the doctrine of the Holy Spirit later revealed in the NT.
- Haggai 2:5 tc The MT of v. 5 reads “with the word which I cut with you when you went out from Egypt and my Spirit [which] stands in your midst, do not fear.” BHS proposes emending “with the word” to זֹאת הַבְּרִית (zoʾt habberit, “this is the covenant”) at the beginning of the verse. The proposed emendation makes excellent sense and is expected with the verb כָּרַת (karat, “cut” or “make” a covenant), but it has no textual support. Most English versions (including the present translation) therefore follow the MT here.
- Haggai 2:6 tc The difficult MT reading עוֹד אַחַת מְעַט הִיא (ʿod ʾakhat meʿat hiʾ, “yet once, it is little”; cf. NAB “One moment yet, a little while”) appears as “yet once” in the LXX, omitting the last two Hebrew words. However, the point being made is that the anticipated action is imminent; thus the repetition provides emphasis.
- Haggai 2:6 tn Or “the heavens.” The same Hebrew word, שָׁמַיִם (shamayim), may be translated “sky” or “heavens” depending on the context. Although many English versions translate the term as “heavens” here, the other three elements present in this context (earth, sea, dry ground) suggest “sky” is in view.
- Haggai 2:7 tn Heb “all the nations.”
- Haggai 2:7 tn Though the subject here is singular (חֶמְדַּה, khemdah; “desire”), the preceding plural predicate mandates a collective subject, “desired (things)” or, better, an emendation to a plural form, חֲמֻדֹת (khamudot, “desirable [things],” hence “treasures”). Cf. ASV “the precious things”; NASB “the wealth”; NRSV “the treasure.” In the OT context this has no direct reference to the coming of the Messiah.
- Haggai 2:9 tn Heb “greater will be the latter splendor of this house than the former”; NAB “greater will be the future glory.”
- Haggai 2:9 tn In the Hebrew text there is an implicit play on words in the clause “in this place [i.e., Jerusalem] I will give peace”: in יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (yerushalayim) there will be שָׁלוֹם (shalom).
- Haggai 2:10 sn The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520 b.c.
- Haggai 2:10 sn This Hebrew expression is slightly different from the one in 1:1, 3; 2:1.
- Haggai 2:11 tn Heb “Ask the priests a torah, saying”; KJV “concerning the law”; NAB “for a decision”; NCV “for a teaching”; NRSV “for a ruling.”
- Haggai 2:12 sn This is probably not an appeal to the Torah (i.e., the Pentateuch) as such but to a priestly ruling (known in postbiblical Judaism as a pesaq din). There is, however, a Mosaic law that provides the basis for the priestly ruling (Lev 6:27).
- Haggai 2:13 tn Heb “unclean of a person,” a euphemism for “unclean because of a dead person”; see Lev 21:11; Num 6:6. Cf. NAB “unclean from contact with a corpse.”
- Haggai 2:14 tn Heb “so this people, and so this nation before me.” In this context “people” and “nation” refer to the same set of individuals; the repetition is emphatic. Cf. CEV “this entire nation.”
- Haggai 2:14 sn The point here is that the Jews cannot be made holy by unholy fellowship with their pagan neighbors; instead, they and their worship will become corrupted by such associations.
- Haggai 2:15 tn Heb “and now set your heart from this day and upward.” The juxtaposition of מָעְלָה (maʿlah, “upward”) with the following מִטֶּרֶם (mitterem, “before”) demands a look to the past. Cf. ASV “consider from this day and backward.”
- Haggai 2:15 sn Before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple is best taken as referring to the laying of the present temple’s foundation, sixteen years earlier (536 b.c.; see Ezra 3:8). Cf. NCV “before you started laying stones”; TEV “before you started to rebuild”; NLT “before you began to lay (started laying CEV) the foundation.”
- Haggai 2:16 tn Heb “from their being,” idiomatic for “from the time they were then,” or “since the time.” Cf. KJV “Since those days were.”
- Haggai 2:17 tn Heb “you, all the work of your hands”; NRSV “you and all the products of your toil”; NIV “all the work of your hands.”
- Haggai 2:17 tn Heb “and there was not with you to me.” The context favors the idea that the harvests were so poor that the people took care of only themselves, leaving no offering for the Lord. Cf. KJV and many English versions “yet ye turned not to me,” understanding the phrase to refer to the people’s repentance rather than their failure to bring offerings.
- Haggai 2:18 tn Heb “set your heart.” A similar expression occurs in v. 15.
- Haggai 2:18 sn The twenty-fourth day of the ninth month was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520. See v. 10. Here the reference is to “today,” the day the oracle is being delivered.
- Haggai 2:18 sn The day work…was resumed. This does not refer to the initial founding of the Jerusalem temple in 536 b.c. but to the renewal of construction three months earlier (see 1:15). This is clear from the situation described in v. 19 which accords with the food scarcities of that time already detailed in Hag 1:10-11.
- Haggai 2:18 tn Heb “set your heart.” A similar expression occurs in v. 15 and at the beginning of this verse.
- Haggai 2:20 sn This Hebrew expression is like the one in 2:10 and is slightly different from the one in 1:1, 3; 2:1.
- Haggai 2:20 sn Again, the twenty-fourth day of the month was Kislev 24 or December 18, 520 b.c. See v. 10.
- Haggai 2:21 tn The participle here suggests an imminent undertaking of action (cf. NRSV, TEV, NLT “I am about to”). The overall language of the passage is eschatological, but eschatology finds its roots in the present.
- Haggai 2:21 tn See the note on the word “sky” in 2:6. Most English translations render the Hebrew term as “heavens” here.
- Haggai 2:22 tn Heb “the kingdoms of the nations.” Cf. KJV “the kingdoms of the heathen”; NIV, NLT “foreign kingdoms.”
- Haggai 2:22 tn Heb “and horses and their riders will go down, a man with a sword his brother”; KJV “every one by the sword of his brother.”
- Haggai 2:23 sn The expression on that day appears as a technical eschatological term in a number of other OT passages (cf., e.g., Isa 2:11, 17, 20; 3:7, 18; Amos 8:3, 9; Hos 2:18, 21).
- Haggai 2:23 sn My servant. The collocation of “servant” and “chosen” bears strong messianic overtones. See the so-called “Servant Songs” and other messianic texts in Isaiah (Isa 41:8; 42:1; 44:4; 49:7).
- Haggai 2:23 sn The noun signet ring, used also to describe Jehoiachin (Jer 22:24-30), refers to a ring seal worn by a king or other important person and used as his signature. Zerubbabel was a grandson of King Jehoiachin (1 Chr 3:17-19; Matt 1:12); God once pronounced that none of Jehoiachin’s immediate descendants would rule (Jer 22:24-30), but here he reverses that judgment. Zerubbabel never ascended to such a lofty position of rulership; he is rather a prototype of the Messiah who would sit on David’s throne.
- Haggai 2:23 tn The repetition of the formula “says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” in v. 23 emphasizes the solemn and divine nature of the promise.
Haggai 2
King James Version
2 In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying,
2 Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,
3 Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:
5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
6 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.
8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.
9 The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
10 In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,
11 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
14 Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
15 And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord:
16 Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.
17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord.
18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider it.
19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.
20 And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,
21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;
22 And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.
23 In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.
Hageo 2
Reina-Valera 1995
2 En el mes séptimo, a los veintiún días del mes, llegó esta palabra de Jehová por medio del profeta Hageo: 2 «Habla ahora a Zorobabel hijo de Salatiel, gobernador de Judá, y a Josué hijo de Josadac, el sumo sacerdote, y al resto del pueblo, y diles: 3 ¿Quién queda entre vosotros que haya visto esta Casa en su antiguo esplendor? ¿Cómo la veis ahora? ¿No es ella como nada ante vuestros ojos? 4 Pues ahora, Zorobabel, anímate, dice Jehová; anímate tú también, sumo sacerdote Josué hijo de Josadac; cobrad ánimo, pueblo todo de la tierra, dice Jehová, y trabajad, porque yo estoy con vosotros, dice Jehová de los ejércitos. 5 Según el pacto que hice con vosotros cuando salisteis de Egipto, así mi espíritu estará en medio de vosotros, no temáis. 6 Porque así dice Jehová de los ejércitos: De aquí a poco yo haré temblar los cielos y la tierra, el mar y la tierra seca; 7 haré temblar a todas las naciones; vendrá el Deseado de todas las naciones y llenaré de gloria esta Casa, ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos. 8 Mía es la plata y mío es el oro, dice Jehová de los ejércitos. 9 La gloria de esta segunda Casa será mayor que la de la primera, ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos; y daré paz en este lugar, dice Jehová de los ejércitos.»
10 A los veinticuatro días del noveno mes, en el segundo año de Darío, llegó esta palabra de Jehová por medio del profeta Hageo: 11 «Así ha dicho Jehová de los ejércitos: Pregunta ahora a los sacerdotes acerca de la Ley, y diles: 12 Si alguno lleva carne santificada en la falda de su ropa, y con el vuelo de ella toca el pan o la vianda, el vino o el aceite, o cualquier otra comida, ¿será santificada?» Los sacerdotes respondieron diciendo que no. 13 Entonces Hageo continuó: «Si uno que está impuro por haber tocado un cadáver, toca alguna cosa de éstas, ¿quedará ella inmunda?» Los sacerdotes respondieron: «Inmunda quedará.» 14 Hageo respondió: «Así es este pueblo y esta gente que está delante de mí, dice Jehová; asimismo es toda la obra de sus manos: todo lo que aquí ofrecen es inmundo. 15 Ahora, pues, meditad en vuestro corazón desde este día en adelante, antes que pongan piedra sobre piedra en el templo de Jehová. 16 Antes que sucedieran estas cosas, venían al montón de veinte efas, y sólo había diez; venían al lagar para sacar cincuenta cántaros, y sólo había veinte. 17 Os herí con un viento sofocante, con tizoncillo y con granizo en toda la obra de vuestras manos, pero no os convertisteis a mí, dice Jehová. 18 Meditad, pues, en vuestro corazón, desde este día en adelante, desde el día veinticuatro del noveno mes, desde el día que se echó el cimiento del templo de Jehová; meditad, pues, en vuestro corazón. 19 ¿No está aún el grano en el granero? Ni la vid, ni la higuera, ni el granado, ni el árbol de olivo ha florecido todavía; pero desde este día, yo os bendeciré.»
20 Hageo recibió por segunda vez esta palabra de Jehová, a los veinticuatro días del mismo mes: 21 «Habla a Zorobabel, gobernador de Judá, y dile: Yo haré temblar los cielos y la tierra; 22 trastornaré el trono de los reinos y destruiré la fuerza de los reinos de las naciones; trastornaré los carros y a los que en ellos suben; caballos y jinetes caerán bajo la espada de sus propios hermanos. 23 En aquel día, dice Jehová de los ejércitos, te tomaré, Zorobabel hijo de Salatiel, siervo mío, dice Jehová, y te pondré como anillo de sellar, porque yo te he escogido, dice Jehová de los ejércitos.»
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