Haggai 2

1In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: 2Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the rest of the people, and say: 3Who among you is still here who saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not look like nothing at all to you? 4Now be strong, Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And be strong, all the people of the land, declares the LORD, and get to work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of Armies. 5This is the promise I made with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit still stands among you. Do not be afraid.

6For the LORD of Armies says this: Once more, and soon, I will shake heaven and earth, sea and dry land. 7I will shake all the nations, and the wealth of all the nations will come in. I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Armies. 8The silver belongs to me, and the gold belongs to me, declares the LORD of Armies. 9The glory of this house in the future will be greater than its glory in the past, says the LORD of Armies. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of Armies.

10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in Darius’s second year, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai: 11The LORD of Armies says this: Ask the priests for instruction on this question: 12“Suppose someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and the fold touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any other food. Does that food become holy?” The priests answered, “No.” 13Then Haggai asked, “If someone who is unclean from contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered, “Yes, it becomes unclean.” 14Then Haggai said, “So it is with this people and this nation in my sight, declares the LORD, and so it is with everything they do; whatever they offer there is unclean.” 15So now, think carefully about how things have been up to this day, before one stone was laid on another in the LORD’s temple: 16how, when someone came to a heap of grain expecting twenty measures, there were only ten, and when someone came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17I struck you, and all the work of your hands, with blight and mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me, declares the LORD. 18Think carefully from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid. Think carefully: 19Is there still any seed left in the barn? Even the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not yet borne fruit. But from this day on I will bless you.

20The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms and shatter the power of the nations’ kingdoms. I will overturn chariots and their drivers; horses and riders will go down, each by the sword of his comrade. 23On that day, declares the LORD of Armies, I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of Armies.