Old/New Testament

A Call to Build the House of Adonai

1 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of Adonai came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah^[a], and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol^[b]: ² “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘This people say the time has not come—the time for the House of Adonai to be rebuilt.’”

³ Then the word of Adonai came through Haggai the prophet: ⁴ “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this House lies in ruins? ⁵ But now,” thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot:

⁷ Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “Set your heart on your ways! ⁸ Go up to the hills, bring wood and build the House. Then I will delight in it and I will be glorified,” says Adonai. ⁹ “You have looked for much, but indeed, there is little. What you have brought home, I have blown away. Why is this?”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—“because My House lies in ruins, while you are running, each to his own house. ¹⁰ Therefore, because of you, the sky has withheld dew and the earth has withheld its yield. ¹¹ For I have called for drought on the land, the hills and the grain, on the new wine, the oil, on what the ground brings forth, on mankind and beast, as well as all labor of hands.”

¹² Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and all the remnant of the people, heeded the voice of Adonai their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, since Adonai their God had sent him. So the people revered Adonai. ¹³ Then Haggai, the messenger of Adonai, spoke to the people with the message of Adonai, “I am with you!”—it is a declaration of Adonai.

¹⁴ Then Adonai stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, and they came and did work on the House of Adonai-Tzva’ot their God, ¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

Glory of this Latter House

2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of Adonai came through Haggai the prophet: ² Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and to the remnant of the people: ³ “Who remains among you who saw this House in its former glory? So how do you see it now? Does it not seem as nothing in comparison in your eyes? ⁴ But now, Zerubbabel, chazak!”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, kohen gadol, and all people of the land, chazak!”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and work! For I am with you!”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁵ “According to the word I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. My Ruach is standing in your midst. Do not fear!”

⁶ For thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: “In just a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land, ^{[c] 7} and I will shake all the nations. The treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this House with glory,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁸ “The silver is mine and the gold is mine!”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot. ⁹ “The glory of this latter House will be greater than the former,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. “In this place, I will grant shalom”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.

Adonai’s Promise to Zerubbabel

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Adonai came to Haggai the prophet, ¹¹ “Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot: ‘Ask now the kohanim for a ruling. ¹² If a person carries consecrated meat in the corner of his garment, and with his corner he touches bread, stew, wine, oil or any food, will it become holy too?’”

Then the kohanim answered and said, “No.”

¹³ So Haggai said, “If one who is unclean by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become unclean?”

The kohanim answered and said, “It does become unclean.”

¹⁴ Then, Haggai answered and said, “So it is with this people. So is this nation before Me”—it is a declaration of Adonai—“and so is every work of their hands. What they were offering there was unclean. ¹⁵ But now, set your heart back from this day onward. Before stone was set upon stone in the Temple of Adonai, ¹⁶ how were things? When one came to a grain-heap of twenty measures, there were ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were twenty. ¹⁷ I struck you with blight and with mildew and with hail—every work of your hands—so you were nothing to Me”—it is a declaration of Adonai. ¹⁸ “Now, set your heart back from this day on—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day the Temple of Adonai was founded, set your heart: ¹⁹ Is there still seed in the storehouse? Also the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree—are they still bearing fruit? From this day on I am going to bless you.”

²⁰ Then the word of Adonai came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, ²¹ “Say to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, ²² and I will overturn the throne of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn the chariot and its rider, so horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

²³ “On that day’”—it is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot—‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant’—it is a declaration of Adonai—“‘and I will set you like a signet ring. For I have chosen you.’” It is a declaration of Adonai-Tzva’ot.

The Vile Prostitute and the Beast

17 Then one of the seven angels holding the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the sentencing of the great prostitute,^[a] who sits on many waters. ² The earth’s kings committed sexual immorality with her, and those who dwell on the earth got drunk with the wine of her immorality.”

³ So he carried me away in the Ruach into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. ^{[b] 4} The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.^[c] She was holding a golden cup^[d] in her hand full of detestable things and the filth of her immorality, ⁵ and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery:

“Babylon the Great, the mother of prostitutes and the detestable things of the earth.”

⁶ And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the kedoshim and with the blood of the witnesses of Yeshua. When I saw her, I was totally astounded.

⁷ But the angel said to me, “Why are you astonished? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. ⁸ The beast that you saw was, and is not, and yet is about to rise up from the abyss and head for destruction. Those who dwell on the earth—whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world—will be astonished when they see the beast, because he was and is not and is to come.

⁹ “This calls for a mind having wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated. They are also seven kings— ¹⁰ five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while. ¹¹ The beast that was and is not—he himself is the eighth, and is one of the seven, and is heading for destruction. ¹² The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. ¹³ These kings are of one mind, and they give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will make war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them—because He is Lord of lords and King of kings,^[e] and those with Him are called and chosen and faithful.”

¹⁵ Then he tells me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. ¹⁶ The ten horns that you saw, and the beast—these will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked,^[f] and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire. ¹⁷ For God has put it into their hearts to do His will, and to be of one mind, and to give their royal power to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. ¹⁸ And the woman that you saw is the great city exercising kingship over the kings of the earth.”