Haggai
Chapter 1
1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of Yahweh came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, saying, 2 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: These people say, ‘The time has not come to rebuild the house of Yahweh.’” 3 Then the word of Yahweh came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses,
while this house lies ruined?
5 So now thus says Yahweh of hosts:
Set your heart to examine your ways!
6 You have sown much seed, but bring in little harvest; you eat but there is not enough to be satisfied;
you drink but cannot get drunk. You wear clothes but cannot warm yourselves,
and the wage earner earns money only to put it into a bag full of holes!
7 Thus says Yahweh of hosts:
“Set your hearts to examine your ways!
8 Go up to the mountain, bring timber, and build my house;
then I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified!—says Yahweh.”
9 “You looked for much, but behold! you have brought little home, for I blew it away!
Why?” declares Yahweh of hosts.
“Because my house lies in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.
10 Therefore because of you the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its produce.
11 I have called for a drought upon the land and upon the mountains, upon the grain
and upon the new wine, upon the oil and upon what the ground produces,
upon men and upon beasts, and upon all the labor of your hands!”
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, along with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of Yahweh their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, because Yahweh their God had sent him and the people feared the face of Yahweh. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of Yahweh, spoke the message of Yahweh to the people and said, “I am with you!—this is the declaration of Yahweh!” 14 So Yahweh stirred up the spirit of the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people, so that they came and worked on the house of Yahweh of hosts, their God 15 in the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
Chapter 2
1 In the seventh month on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of Yahweh came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak now to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people. Say,
3 ‘Who is left among you
who saw this house in its former glory?
How do you see it now?
Is it not like nothing in your eyes?
4 Now, be strong, O Zerubbabel!—this is the declaration of Yahweh—
and be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest;
and be strong, all you people of the land!—this is the declaration of Yahweh—
and work, for I am with you!—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.
5 This is the word which I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt,
and my Spirit remains in your midst. Do not fear!
6 For thus says Yahweh of hosts: In a little while
I will once again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land!
7 I will shake all nations, and they will come with the precious things of all nations,
and I will fill this house with glory, says Yahweh of hosts.
8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.
9 The glory of this house will be greater in the future than at the beginning, says Yahweh of hosts,
and I will give peace in this place!—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts.”
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts: Ask the priests concerning the law, and say, 12 ‘If a man carries meat that is set apart to Yahweh in the fold of his garment, and the fold touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these things, does he become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “Yes, he becomes unclean.” 14 So Haggai answered and said, “So it is with this people and this nation before me!—this is the declaration of Yahweh—and so it is with every work done by their hands. What they offer there is unclean! 15 Now then, set your hearts to consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of Yahweh, 16 From that time when you came to a heap of twenty measures of grain, there were only ten; and when you came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17 I struck you and all the work of your hands with blight and with mildew and with hail, but you still did not turn to me—this is the declaration of Yahweh. 18 Set your hearts to consider from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the temple of Yahweh was laid. Set your hearts to consider this! 19 Is there still seed in the storehouse? Until now the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not produced! But from this day will I bless you!”
20 Then the word of Yahweh came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month and said, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and say,
‘I am about to shake the heavens and the earth.
22 For I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations!
I will overthrow the chariots and their riders; the horses and their riders will fall down, each one by the sword of his brother.
23 On that day—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts—I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant—this is the declaration of Yahweh.
I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you!
—this is the declaration of Yahweh of hosts!’”