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Introduction
1 On the first day of the sixth month[a] of King Darius’[b] second year, the Lord’s message came through[c] the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak:[d]
The Accusation of Indifference Against the People
2 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[e] has said: “These people have said, ‘The time for rebuilding the Lord’s temple has not yet come.’”[f] 3 The Lord’s message came through the prophet Haggai as follows:[g] 4 “Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses[h] while my temple is in ruins?[i] 5 Here then, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: ‘Think carefully about what you are doing.[j] 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but are never filled. You drink, but are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but are not warm. Those who earn wages end up with holes in their money bags.’”[k]
Consequences of the Failure to Rebuild the Temple
7 Moreover, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: “Pay close attention to these things also.[l] 8 Go up to the hill country and bring back timber to build[m] the temple.[n] Then I will be pleased and honored,”[o] says the Lord. 9 “You expected a large harvest, but instead there was little.[p] And when you would bring it home, I would blow it right away.[q] Why?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Because my temple remains in ruins, thanks to each of you favoring his own house![r] 10 This is why the sky[s] has held back its dew and the earth its produce.[t] 11 Moreover, I have called for a drought that will affect the fields, the hill country, the grain, new wine, fresh olive oil, and everything that grows from the ground; it also will harm people, animals, and everything they produce.”[u]
The Response of the Leaders and the People
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak,[v] along with the whole remnant of the people,[w] obeyed[x] the Lord their God. They responded favorably to the message of the prophet Haggai, who spoke just as the Lord their God had instructed him,[y] and the people began to respect the Lord.[z] 13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s announcement to the people:[aa] “I am with you,” decrees the Lord. 14 So the Lord energized and encouraged[ab] Zerubbabel[ac] son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak,[ad] and the whole remnant of the people.[ae] They came and worked on the temple of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 15 This took place on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year.[af]
The Glory to Come
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,[ag] the Lord’s message came through[ah] the prophet Haggai again: 2 “Ask the following questions to[ai] Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak,[aj] and the remnant of the people: 3 ‘Who among you survivors saw the former splendor of this temple?[ak] 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,”[al] 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[am] even now testifies to you.”[an] 6 Moreover, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said: “In just a little while[ao] I will once again shake the sky[ap] and the earth, the sea and the dry ground. 7 I will also shake up all the nations, and they[aq] will offer their treasures;[ar] 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,”[as] the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has declared. “And in this place I will give peace,” decrees the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.[at]
The Promised Blessing
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year,[au] the Lord’s message came to the prophet Haggai:[av] 11 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has said, ‘Ask the priests about the law.[aw] 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?’”[ax] The priests answered, “It will not.” 13 Then Haggai asked, “If a person who is ritually unclean because of touching a dead body[ay] 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,’[az] decrees the Lord. ‘And so is all their effort; everything they offer is also unclean.[ba] 15 Now therefore reflect carefully on the recent past,[bb] before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple.[bc] 16 From that time[bd] 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[be] with blight, disease, and hail, and yet you brought nothing to me,’[bf] says the Lord. 18 ‘Think carefully[bg] about the past: from today, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,[bh] to the day work on the temple of the Lord was resumed,[bi] think about it.[bj] 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[bk] a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:[bl] 21 “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah: ‘I am ready[bm] to shake the sky[bn] and the earth. 22 I will overthrow royal thrones and shatter the might of earthly kingdoms.[bo] I will overthrow chariots and those who ride them, and horses and their riders will fall as people kill one another.[bp] 23 On that day,’[bq] says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’[br] says the Lord, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring,[bs] for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”[bt]
The Fate of the Two Witnesses
11 Then[a] a measuring rod[b] like a staff was given to me, and I was told,[c] “Get up and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and the ones who worship there. 2 But[d] do not measure the outer courtyard[e] of the temple; leave it out,[f] because it has been given to the Gentiles,[g] and they will trample on the holy city[h] for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority[i] to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.” 4 (These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.)[j] 5 If[k] anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouths[l] and completely consumes[m] their enemies. If[n] anyone wants to harm them, they must be killed this way. 6 These two have the power[o] to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the time[p] they are prophesying. They[q] have power[r] to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague whenever they want. 7 When[s] they have completed their testimony, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them and conquer[t] them and kill them. 8 Their[u] corpses will lie in the street[v] of the great city that is symbolically[w] called Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was also crucified. 9 For three and a half days those from every[x] people, tribe,[y] nation, and language will look at their corpses, because they will not permit them to be placed in a tomb.[z] 10 And those who live on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, even sending gifts to each other, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth. 11 But[aa] after three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and tremendous fear seized[ab] those who were watching them. 12 Then[ac] they[ad] heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them: “Come up here!” So the two prophets[ae] went up to heaven in a cloud while[af] their enemies stared at them. 13 Just then[ag] a major earthquake took place and a tenth of the city collapsed; seven thousand people[ah] were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe has come and gone;[ai] the third is coming quickly.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then[aj] the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying:
“The kingdom of the world
has become the kingdom of our Lord
and of his Christ,[ak]
and he will reign for ever and ever.”
16 Then[al] the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground[am] and worshiped God 17 with these words:[an]
“We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful,[ao]
the one who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
and begun to reign.[ap]
18 The[aq] nations[ar] were enraged,
but[as] your wrath has come,
and the time has come for the dead to be judged,
and the time has come to give to your servants,[at]
the prophets, their reward,
as well as to the saints
and to those who revere[au] your name, both small and great,
and the time has come[av] to destroy those who destroy[aw] the earth.”
19 Then[ax] the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple. And there were flashes of lightning, roaring,[ay] crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.[az]
Psalm 139[a]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you examine me[b] and know me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up;
even from far away you understand my motives.
3 You carefully observe me when I travel or when I lie down to rest;[c]
you are aware of everything I do.[d]
4 Certainly[e] my tongue does not frame a word
without you, O Lord, being thoroughly aware of it.[f]
5 You squeeze me in from behind and in front;
you place your hand on me.
6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension;
it is so far beyond me, I am unable to fathom it.[g]
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee to escape your presence?[h]
8 If I were to ascend[i] to heaven, you would be there.
If I were to sprawl out[j] in Sheol, there you would be.[k]
9 If I were to fly away[l] on the wings of the dawn,[m]
and settle down on the other side[n] of the sea,
10 even there your hand would guide me,
your right hand would grab hold of me.
11 If I were to say, “Certainly the darkness will cover me,[o]
and the light will turn to night all around me,”[p]
12 even the darkness is not too dark for you to see,[q]
and the night is as bright as[r] day;
darkness and light are the same to you.[s]
13 Certainly[t] you made my mind and heart;[u]
you wove me together[v] in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give you thanks because your deeds are awesome and amazing.[w]
You knew me thoroughly;[x]
15 my bones were not hidden from you,
when[y] I was made in secret
and sewed together in the depths of the earth.[z]
16 Your eyes saw me when I was inside the womb.[aa]
All the days ordained for me
were recorded in your scroll
before one of them came into existence.[ab]
17 How difficult it is for me to fathom your thoughts about me, O God![ac]
How vast is their sum total.[ad]
18 If I tried to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Even if I finished counting them,
I would still have to contend with you.[ae]
19 If only[af] you would kill the wicked, O God!
Get away from me, you violent men![ag]
20 They[ah] rebel against you[ai] and act deceitfully;[aj]
your enemies lie.[ak]
21 O Lord, do I not hate those who hate you,
and despise those who oppose you?[al]
22 I absolutely hate them;[am]
they have become my enemies.
23 Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.[an]
Test me, and know my concerns.[ao]
24 See if there is any idolatrous way[ap] in me,
and lead me in the everlasting way.[aq]
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