The Builders Encouraged
1 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the L
ORD came by Haggai the prophet 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,
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?
4 ‘But now take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the L
ORD, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the L
ORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the L
ORD 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!’
6 “For thus says the L
ORD 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.
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 L
ORD of hosts.
8 ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the L
ORD of hosts.
9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the L
ORD of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the L
ORD of hosts.”
10 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth
month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the L
ORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,
11 “Thus says the L
ORD of hosts, ‘Ask now the priests
for a ruling:
12 ‘If 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.”
13 Then 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.”
14 Then Haggai said, “ ‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the L
ORD, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.
15 ‘But now, do consider from this day onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the L
ORD,
16 from 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.
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 L
ORD.
18 ‘Do consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth
month; from the day when the temple of the L
ORD was founded, consider:
19 ‘Is 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.’”
20 Then the word of the L
ORD came a second time 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.
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.’
23 ‘On that day,’ declares the L
ORD of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the L
ORD, ‘and I will make you like a signet
ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares the L
ORD of hosts.