1 O n the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of the Lord came by Haggai the man of God, saying,

¶ In the seventh month, in the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of the prophet Haggai, saying,

2 “ Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, ruler of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the head religious leader, and to the rest of the people. Say to them,

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

3 ‘ Who is left among you who saw this house of God as it was before in its greatness? And how does it look to you now? Is it anything like it was?

Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see her now? Is she not as nothing before your eyes?

4 B ut now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, head religious leader. And be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord. ‘Do the work, for I am with you,’ says the Lord of All.

Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, said the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of this land, said the LORD, and work; for I am with you, said the LORD of the hosts:

5 ‘ As I promised you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is with you. Do not be afraid.’

The word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt and my Spirit is in the midst of you: do not fear.

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

For thus hath the LORD of the hosts said: Yet even once, and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land;

7 I will shake all the nations so that the riches of all nations will come in. And I will fill this house with greatness,’ says the Lord of All.

and I will shake all the Gentiles; and the desire of all the Gentiles shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, said the LORD of the hosts.

8 ‘ The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of All.

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, said the LORD of the hosts.

9 ‘ This house will be even greater than it was before,’ says the Lord of All. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of All.” The People Are Unclean

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, said the LORD of the hosts, and in this place I will give peace, said the LORD of the hosts.

10 O n the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius, the Word of the Lord came to Haggai the man of God, saying,

¶ In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying,

11 “ The Lord of All says, ‘Ask the religious leaders to decide about this:

Thus hath the LORD of the hosts said; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

12 I f a man carries holy meat in the fold of his clothing, and this fold touches bread or hot food, or wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” The religious leaders answered and said, “No.”

If one bears holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt touches bread or pottage or wine, or oil or any food, shall it be made holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

13 T hen Haggai said, “If a man is unclean because he touched a dead body and touches any of these, will it become unclean?” And the religious leaders answered and said, “It will become unclean.” The Lord Promises Good to Come to His People

Then Haggai said, If one that is unclean by a dead body touches any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

14 T hen Haggai said, “‘So are these people, and so is this nation before Me,’ says the Lord. ‘And so is everything they have made. What they give there is unclean.

Then Haggai answered, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, said the LORD; and so is every work of their hands, and all that they offer here is unclean.

15 N ow think about this from this day on. Think about how things were before one stone was placed on another in the house of the Lord.

And now, I pray you, consider in your heart from this day forth, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the LORD:

16 W hen anyone came to a place where there were twenty baskets of grain, there would be only ten. When anyone came to a place to get fifty bottles of wine, there would be only twenty.

since these things were: when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten; when one came to the pressfat to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

17 I destroyed you and everything you did with a strong-wind, disease, and hail. Yet you did not return to Me,’ says the Lord.

I smote you with the east wind and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands, yet ye did not turn to me, said the LORD.

18 ‘ Think about this from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day when the base of the Lord’s house was laid, think about this:

Consider now in your heart from this day forth, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, put your heart into it.

19 I s the seed still in the store-house? The vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not given any fruit. Yet from this day on I will bring good to you.’” The Lord’s Promise to Zerubbabel

Is not the seed yet in the barn? Not even the vine, nor the fig tree, nor the pomegranate, nor the olive tree, has blossomed yet, but from this day will I bless you.

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

¶ And the word of the LORD came the second time unto Haggai in the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

21 “ Tell Zerubbabel, ruler of Judah, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

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

22 I will take the power away from kings and destroy the power of the nations. I will destroy war-wagons and their drivers. Horses and their horsemen will fall, every one by the sword of another.

and I will overthrow the throne of the kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdom of the Gentiles, and I will overthrow the chariot and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, each one by the sword of his brother.

23 O n that day,’ says the Lord of All, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will make you like a ring for marking My name. For I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of All.”

In that day, said the LORD of the hosts, I will take thee, O Zerubbabel, my slave, the son of Shealtiel, said the LORD, and will make thee as a signet ring; for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of the hosts.