Old Testament · Prophets

Haggai chapter 2

On , a message came from Yahweh through the prophet Haggai:Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak the head priest, and to everyone left of the people:Which of you is still here who saw this house in its former ? And what does it look like to you now? Set against that, it looks like nothing, doesn’t it?But now, Zerubbabel, says Yahweh. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, head priest. Be strong, all you , says Yahweh, and get to work, because I am with you, says Yahweh who commands armies.This is when you came out of Egypt, and is standing right there among you. Don’t be afraid.This is what Yahweh who commands armies says: Once more, and it will be soon, I am going to the sky and the land, the sea and the dry ground.I will shake every nation, and will come in, and I will fill this house with splendor, says Yahweh who commands armies.The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says Yahweh who commands armies.The splendor of this house in its later days will be greater than in its early days, says Yahweh who commands armies. And in this place I will give , says Yahweh who commands armies.On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, a message came from Yahweh to the prophet Haggai:This is what Yahweh who commands armies says: Go and ask the priests for .Suppose a man is carrying meat that , wrapped in , and the fold brushes against bread or stew or wine or oil or any other food. Does that food belong to God too? The priests answered, “No.”Then Haggai said, “Suppose someone who has touched a dead body touches any of these. Does it become ?” The priests answered, “It becomes contaminated.”Then Haggai said, That is how these people are, and that is how this nation is in front of me, says Yahweh, and that is how everything their hands make is. Whatever they bring and offer there is contaminated.So now, think carefully about the way things have gone, from today looking back, in Yahweh’s temple.Through all that time, when a man came to a pile expecting twenty measures of grain, there were ten. When he came to , there were twenty.I struck everything your hands made with , and still you would not come back to me, says Yahweh.Think carefully about the way things go from today forward, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid. Think carefully about it.Is there seed still in the barn? have produced nothing yet. From today on, I am going to .A message came from Yahweh to Haggai a second time that day, on the twenty-fourth of the month:Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: I am going to shake the sky and the land.I will the thrones of kingdoms and break the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will turn over , and the horses will go down and their riders with them, .On that day, says Yahweh who commands armies, I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, , says Yahweh, and I will make you , because you are the one I have chosen, says Yahweh who commands armies.