Haggai 2

The Future Glory of the House

1In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the hand of Haggai the prophet:

2“Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3‘Who is left among you
who saw this house
in its former glory?
And how do you see it now?
Is it not as nothing in your eyes?

4Yet 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, 5‘according to the covenant
that I made with you
when you came out of Egypt.
My Spirit stands in your midst.
Do not fear.’

6For 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. 7And I will shake all nations,
and the treasures of all nations shall come in,
and I will fill this house with glory,’
says the LORD of Hosts. 8‘The silver is mine,
and the gold is mine,’
declares the LORD of Hosts. 9‘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.”

Blessing for Obedience

10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet:

11Thus says the LORD of Hosts:
“Ask the priests about the law: 12If someone carries holy meat
in the fold of his garment,
and with the fold touches bread,
or stew,
or wine,
or oil,
or any kind of food,
does it become holy?”
The priests answered and said,
“No.”

13Then Haggai said,
“If one who is unclean by contact with a dead body
touches any of these,
does it become unclean?”
The priests answered and said,
“It becomes unclean.”

14Then Haggai answered and said,
“So is this people,
and so is this nation before me,”
declares the LORD,
“and so is every work of their hands.
And what they offer there is unclean.

15Now then,
consider from this day onward.
Before stone was placed upon stone
in the temple of the LORD, 16how 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. 17I struck you
and all the work of your hands
with blight and mildew and hail,
yet you did not turn to me,”
declares the LORD.

18Consider 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: 19Is 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 LORD's Promise to Zerubbabel

20The word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month:

21“Speak to Zerubbabel,
governor of Judah,
saying,
‘I am about to shake
the heavens and the earth, 22and 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.

23In that day,’
declares the LORD of Hosts,
‘I will take you,
O Zerubbabel my servant,
son of Shealtiel,’
declares the LORD,
‘and make you like a signet ring,
for I have chosen you,’
declares the LORD of Hosts.”