1 O n the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet saying,

In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, in the second year of Darius king, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying,

2 “ Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying,

Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remainder of the people, saying,

3 ‘ Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison?

Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Is not this in your sight as nothing in comparison to that?

4 B ut now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts.

Yet now be strong, alert, and courageous, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; be strong, alert, and courageous, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, alert, and courageous, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.

5 ‘ As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!’

According to the promise that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit stands and abides in the midst of you; fear not.

6 F or thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘ Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.

For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake and make tremble the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land;

7 I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.

And I will shake all nations and the desire and the precious things of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts.

8 ‘ The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts.

The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts.

9 ‘ The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”

The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace and prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

10 O n the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,

11 “ Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘ Ask now the priests for a ruling:

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask now the priests to decide this question of law:

12 I f a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and touches bread with this fold, or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.”

If one carries in the skirt of his garment flesh that is holy, and with his skirt or the flaps of his garment he touches bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any kind of food, does what he touches become holy ? And the priests answered, No!

13 T hen Haggai said, “ If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.”

Then said Haggai, If one who is unclean because he has come in contact with a dead body should touch any of these articles of food, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered, It shall be unclean.

14 T hen Haggai said, “‘ So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.

Then answered Haggai, So is this people and so is this nation before Me, says the Lord; and so is every work of their hands, and what they offer there is unclean.

15 B ut now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord,

And now, I pray you, consider what will happen from this day onward. Since the time before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord, how have you fared?

16 f rom that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty.

Through all that time when one has gone expecting to find a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten; when he has gone to the wine vat to draw out fifty bucketfuls from the press, there were only twenty.

17 I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord.

I smote you with blight and with mildew and with hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you returned not nor were converted to Me, says the Lord.

18 ‘ Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the Lord was founded, consider:

Consider, I pray you, from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider this:

19 I s the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, it has not borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”

Is the harvested grain any longer in the barn? As to the grapevine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree—they have not yet borne. From this day on I will bless you.

20 T hen the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

21 “ Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;

22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.’

And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them, and the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother.

23 ‘ On that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘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 hosts.

In that day, says the Lord of hosts, will I take you, O Zerubbabel, My servant, the son of Shealtiel, says the Lord, and will make you My signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.