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The New Temple’s Diminished Splendor

Then on October 17 of that same year,[a] the Lord sent another message through the prophet Haggai. “Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua[b] son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land: ‘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! 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. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’

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Footnotes

  1. 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.
  2. 2:2 Hebrew Joshua, a variant spelling of Jeshua; also in 2:4.

The Future Glory of the Lord’s House

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this message from the Lord came by[a] Haggai the prophet: “Speak to Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, to Jehozadak’s son Joshua, the high priest, and to the rest[b] of the people, asking, ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And what does it look like now? From what you can see, it seems like nothing, doesn’t it? Now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord. ‘Go to work, because I am with you,’ declares the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. ‘My Spirit continues to dwell among you, according to[c] the covenant I established when you came out from Egypt. Don’t be afraid!’

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Footnotes

  1. Haggai 2:1 Lit. by the hand of
  2. Haggai 2:2 Or the whole remnant
  3. Haggai 2:5 The Heb. lacks according to