A Call to Return to the Lord

1 In the eighth month of the second year of Darius,^(A) the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah^(B) son of Berekiah,^(C) the son of Iddo:^(D)

² “The Lord was very angry^(E) with your ancestors. ³ Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return^(F) to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’^(G) says the Lord Almighty. ⁴ Do not be like your ancestors,^(H) to whom the earlier prophets^(I) proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways^(J) and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me,^(K) declares the Lord.^{(L) 5} Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ But did not my words^(M) and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?^(N)

“Then they repented and said, ‘The Lord Almighty has done to us what our ways and practices deserve,^(O) just as he determined to do.’”^(P)

Blessings for a Defiled People

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,^(A) in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: ¹¹ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests^(B) what the law says: ¹² If someone carries consecrated meat^(C) in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?^(D)’”

The priests answered, “No.”

¹³ Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”

“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.^(E)”

¹⁴ Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people^(F) and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer^(G) there is defiled.

¹⁵ “‘Now give careful thought^(H) to this from this day on^[a]—consider how things were before one stone was laid^(I) on another in the Lord’s temple.^{(J) 16} When anyone came to a heap^(K) of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat^(L) to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.^{(M) 17} I struck all the work of your hands^(N) with blight,^(O) mildew and hail,^(P) yet you did not return^(Q) to me,’ declares the Lord.^{(R) 18} ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought^(S) to the day when the foundation^(T) of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: ¹⁹ Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate^(U) and the olive tree have not borne fruit.^(V)

“‘From this day on I will bless^(W) you.’”