1:1In the second year of Darius the
king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the Word of
THE LORD came by Haggai, the prophet, to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest,
saying, 1:2"This is what THE LORD of
Armies says: These people say, 'The time hasn't yet come, the time for
THE LORD's house to be built.'"
1:3Then the Word of THE LORD came by
Haggai, the prophet, saying, 1:4"Is it a time for you
yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies waste?
1:5Now therefore this is what THE LORD
of Armies says: Consider your ways. 1:6You have
sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don't have enough. You
drink, but you aren't filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one
is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with
holes in it."
1:7This is what THE LORD of Hosts
says: "Consider your ways. 1:8Go up to the mountain, bring wood,
and build the house. I will take pleasure in it, and I will be
glorified," says THE LORD. 1:9"You looked for much, and,
behold, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away.
Why?" says THE LORD of Hosts, "Because of my house that lies
waste, while each of you is busy with his own house. 1:10Therefore
for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its
fruit. 1:11I called for a drought on the
land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that
which the ground brings forth, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of
the hands."
1:12Then Zerubbabel, the son of
Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the
remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of THE LORD, their God, and the
words of Haggai, the prophet, as THE LORD, their God, had sent him; and the
people feared THE LORD.
1:13Then Haggai, THE LORD's messenger,
spoke in THE LORD's message to the people, saying, "I am with
you," says THE LORD.
1:14THE LORD stirred up the spirit of
Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of
Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the
remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of THE LORD of
Armies, their God, 1:15in the twenty-fourth day of the
month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
2:1In the seventh month, in the
twenty-first day of the month, the Word of THE LORD came by Haggai the
prophet, saying, 2:2"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, 2:3'Who is left among you who saw
this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Isn't it in your
eyes as nothing? 2:4Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,'
says THE LORD. 'Be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be
strong, all you people of the land,' says THE LORD, 'and work, for I am with
you,' says THE LORD of Hosts. 2:5This is the word that I covenanted
with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit lived among you. Don't
be afraid.' 2:6For this is what THE LORD of Hosts
says: 'Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, the
earth, the sea, and the dry land; 2:7and I will
shake all nations. The precious things of all nations will come, and I
will fill this house with glory, says THE LORD of Hosts. 2:8The silver is mine, and the gold
is mine,' says THE LORD of Hosts. 2:9'The latter
glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says THE LORD of
Armies; 'and in this place will I give peace,' says THE LORD of Hosts."
2:10In the twenty-fourth day of the
ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the Word of THE LORD came by
Haggai the prophet, saying, 2:11"Thus says THE LORD of Hosts:
Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 2:12'If someone
carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches
bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?'"
The priests answered, "No."
2:13Then Haggai said, "If one
who is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, will it be
unclean?"
The priests answered, "It will be unclean."
2:14Then Haggai answered, "'So
is this people, and so is this nation before me,' says THE LORD; 'and so is
every work of their hands. That which they offer there is unclean. 2:15Now, please consider from this
day and backward, before a stone was laid on a stone in the temple of
THE LORD. 2:16Through all that time, when one
came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When one came to
the wine vat to draw out fifty, there were only twenty. 2:17I struck you with blight, mildew,
and hail in all the work of your hands; yet you didn't turn to me,' says
THE LORD. 2:18'Consider, please, from this day
and backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, since the day
that the foundation of THE LORD's temple was laid, consider it. 2:19Is the seed yet in the barn? Yes,
the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree haven't
brought forth. From this day will I bless you.'"
2:20The Word of THE LORD came the
second time to Haggai in the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 2:21"Speak to Zerubbabel,
governor of Judah, saying, 'I will shake the heavens and the earth. 2:22I will overthrow the throne of
kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I
will overthrow the chariots, and those who ride in them. The horses and
their riders will come down, everyone by the sword of his brother. 2:23In that day, says THE LORD of
Armies, will I take you, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel,'
says THE LORD, 'and will make you as a signet, for I have chosen you,' says
THE LORD of Hosts."
