In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the
word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: “Speak now
to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to
Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the
remnant of the people, and say, ‘Who is left among you who saw this
house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as
nothing in your eyes? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the
LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be
strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I
am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant
that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains
in your midst. Fear not. For thus says the LORD of hosts: Yet once
more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and
the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the
treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house
with glory, says the LORD of hosts. The silver is mine, and the
gold is mine, 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 I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts.’”
On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year
of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, “Thus
says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: ‘If someone
carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his
fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it
become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” Then Haggai
said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body
touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered
and said, “It does become unclean.” Then Haggai answered and said,
“So is it with this people, and with this nation before me,
declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what
they offer there is unclean. Now then, consider from this day
onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the
LORD, how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures,
there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty
measures, there were but twenty. I struck you and all the products
of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did
not turn to me, declares the LORD. Consider from this day onward,
from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that
the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid, consider: Is the seed
yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate,
and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I
will bless you.”
The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-
fourth day of the month, “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah,
saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, and to
overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the
strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots
and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down,
every one by the sword of his brother. On that day, declares the
LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of
Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for
I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.”
