1 I n the seventh, in the twenty and first of the month, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

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

2 ` Speak, I pray thee, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and unto Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, and unto the remnant of the people, saying:

“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,

3 W ho among you hath been left that saw this house in its former honour? And what are ye seeing it now? Is it not, compared with it, as nothing in your eyes?

‘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?

4 A nd now, be strong, O Zerubbabel, An affirmation of Jehovah, And be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, And be strong, all ye people of the land, An affirmation of Jehovah, And do ye -- (for I with you, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts) --

But 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.

5 T he thing that I covenanted with you, In your coming forth from Egypt, And My Spirit is remaining in your midst, fear not.

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

6 F or thus said Jehovah of Hosts: Yet once more -- it a little, And I am shaking the heavens and the earth, And the sea, and the dry land,

For 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.

7 A nd I have shaken all the nations, And they have come the desire of all the nations, And I have filled this house honour, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

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.

8 M ine the silver, and Mine the gold, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.

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

9 G reater is the honour of this latter house, Than of the former, said Jehovah of Hosts, And in this place do I give peace, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.'

‘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

10 O n the twenty and fourth of the ninth, in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

On 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,

11 T hus said Jehovah of Hosts: `Ask, I pray thee, the priests the law, saying:

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

12 L o, one doth carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and he hath come with his skirt against the bread, or against the pottage, or against the wine, or against the oil, or against any food -- is it holy?' And the priests answer and say, `No.'

If 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.”

13 A nd Haggai saith, `If the unclean of body doth come against any of these, is it unclean?' And the priests answer and say, `It is unclean.'

Then 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

14 A nd Haggai answereth and saith, `So this people, and so this nation before Me -- an affirmation of Jehovah -- and so every work of their hands, and that which they bring near there -- it is unclean.

Then 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.

15 A nd now, lay, I pray you, to your heart, From this day, and onwards, Before the laying of stone to stone in the temple of Jehovah.

Now 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.

16 F rom that time hath come to a heap of twenty, And it hath been ten, He hath come unto the wine-fat to draw out fifty purahs, And it hath been twenty.

When 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.

17 I have smitten you with blasting, And with mildew, and with hail -- All the work of your hands, And there is none of you with Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

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

18 S et, I pray you, to your heart, from this day and onwards, from the twenty and fourth day of the ninth, even from the day that the temple of Jehovah hath been founded, set to your heart.

‘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:

19 I s the seed yet in the barn? And hitherto the vine and the fig, And the pomegranate, and the olive-tree, Have not borne -- from this day I bless.'

Is 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

20 A nd there is a word of Jehovah a second time unto Haggai, on the twenty and fourth of the month, saying:

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

21 ` Speak unto Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying: I am shaking the heavens and the earth,

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

22 A nd have overturned the throne of kingdoms, And I have destroyed the strength of kingdoms of the nations, And overturned chariot and its charioteers, And come down have horses and their riders, Each by the sword of his brother.

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.

23 I n that day -- an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I take thee, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And have set thee as a signet, for on thee I have fixed, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts!

On 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.”