Old/New Testament
The First Set of Messages:
Build the Lord’s House
1 In the second year of King Darius,[a] on the first day of the sixth month,[b] the word of the Lord came through[c] Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest.
2 This is what the Lord of Armies[d] says. This people has said, “It is not the right time for the House of the Lord to be built.”
3 So the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet.
4 Is it time for you to live in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now this is what the Lord of Armies says. Consider your ways carefully. 6 You sow much seed but you harvest little. You eat but you are never satisfied. You drink but you never become drunk. You get dressed, but no one is warm. The one who makes money puts that money into a bag with a hole in it.
7 This is what the Lord of Armies says. Consider your ways carefully. 8 Go up to the mountains, bring lumber down, and build the House. I will be pleased with it, and I will be glorified, says the Lord.
9 You expected much, but look, there was little. When you brought it home, I blew it away.
Why did I do that? This is a declaration of the Lord of Armies. It is because my house lies in ruins while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 So it is because of you that the heavens have withheld the dew and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the olive oil, on everything which the soil produces, on people, on livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the surviving remnant[e] of the people, listened to the voice of the Lord their God and to the words of Haggai the prophet, because the Lord their God had sent him. So the people feared the Lord.
13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people: “I am with you, declares the Lord.”
14 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the surviving remnant of the people, and they came and worked on the house for the Lord of Armies, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.
The Second Message:
The Glory of This House
2 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,[f] the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet.
2 Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the surviving remnant of the people.
3 Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look now? Doesn’t it seem like nothing in your eyes?
4 But now, be strong, Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest! Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Get to work, and I will be with you, declares the Lord of Armies. 5 This is the promise I made[g] to you when you left Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Do not be afraid!
6 Listen, this is what the Lord of Armies says. Once again, in a little while, I myself will shake the heavens and the earth, the seas and the dry land. 7 I will shake all the nations, and the desired of all the nations will come,[h] and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of Armies. 8 The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of Armies. 9 The glory of this second house will be greater than that of the first one,[i] says the Lord of Armies. For in this place I will provide peace, declares the Lord of Armies.
The Third Set of Messages:
The Transfer of Cleanness and Uncleanness
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius,[j] the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet.
11 This is what the Lord of Armies says. Ask the priests about the law. 12 If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and he touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food with the fold of the garment, will that food become holy?
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from contact with a dead body touches any of these things, will that thing become unclean?”
The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”
14 Then Haggai responded:
This is how it is with this people, and this is how it is with this nation in my presence, declares the Lord, and this is how it is with all the work of their hands. Everything that they offer there is unclean.
15 Now, consider your ways carefully, from the time before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord, up to this day.[k] 16 Through all that time, whenever anyone came to a heap of grain to get twenty measures,[l] there were only ten. Whenever anyone came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck you and all the work of your hands with blight, mildew, and hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord.
18 Consider your ways carefully, from today, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, all the way back to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid.[m] Consider this. 19 Is there still seed in the barn? The vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not produced fruit.
But from this day on, I will bless you.
Zerubbabel Is the Lord’s Signet Ring
20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month.
21 Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah. Say, “I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will go down, each one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of Armies, I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant, declares the Lord, and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of Armies.”
The Vision of the Great Prostitute
17 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. He said, “Come, I will show you the judgment on the great prostitute who is sitting on many waters. 2 The kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality with her, and those who make their home on the earth have become drunk on the wine of her immorality.”
3 The angel carried me in spirit into a wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was clothed with purple and scarlet and was adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls. In her hand was a gold cup full of abominations and the filth of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead this name was written:
Mystery
Babylon the Great,
the mother of the prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
6 And I saw that this woman was drunk from the blood of the saints and the blood of Jesus’ martyrs.
Explanation of the Woman and the Beast
When I saw her, I was greatly amazed. 7 And the angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the one that has seven heads and ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw: He existed, is no more, and he is about to come out of the abyss and go to destruction. Those who make their home on the earth, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life from the creation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because he existed, is no more, and will exist again.
9 “A mind that has wisdom is needed here: The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman is sitting. They are also seven kings. 10 Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, but when he comes, he must remain for a little while.
11 “The beast that existed and is no more is the eighth king (who is one of the seven) and is going to go to destruction. 12 The ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but along with the beast they will receive authority like kings for one hour. 13 They share one purpose and they will give their power and authority to the beast. 14 They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them, because he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Those who are with him are the called, the elect, and the believing.”
15 The angel also said to me, “The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is sitting, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. 16 The ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute and will cause her to be abandoned and naked. They will also eat her flesh and burn her with fire. 17 For God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose, namely, to agree to give their royal authority to the beast until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.