1

1 It was the second year that Darius was king of Persia. Jehovah spoke through Haggai the prophet in the sixth month, on the first day of the month. The message was delivered to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and to the High Priest, Joshua son of Jehozadak.

2 Jehovah of Hosts said to Haggai: »These people say that this is not the right time to rebuild the Temple.«

3 Then came the word of Jehovah by Haggai the prophet. He said:

4 »Is it time for you to dwell in your roofed and covered houses, while this house is desolate?«

5 Jehovah of Hosts said: »Consider your ways.

6 »You sow much and reap little. You eat but you do not have enough! You drink and yet you are not filled. You clothe yourselves but you are not warm. You earns wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.«

7 Then Jehovah said: »Consider your ways.

8 »Go up to the mountain and bring lumber, and rebuild my house. I will take pleasure in it and I will be glorified,« said Jehovah.

9 »You looked for much harvest and you received little. When you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?« Said Jehovah of Hosts. »Because my house lies in waste, while each of you run to his house.

10 »It is because of you that the sky above you withholds the dew, and the earth below withholds its produce.

11 »I brought drought on the land and its hills, grain fields, vineyards, and olive orchards. Yes drought on every crop the ground produces, on people and animals, on everything you try to grow.«

12 Governor Zerubbabel and Joshua the High Priest and all the people who returned from the exile in Babylon did what Jehovah God told them to do. They were afraid and obeyed Jehovah’s messenger, Haggai the prophet.

13 Then Haggai gave Jehovah’s message to the people: »I am with you!«

14 Jehovah inspired everyone to work on the Temple. That included: Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah; Joshua, the High Priest, and all the people who had returned from the exile. They worked on the house of Jehovah of Hosts, their God.

15 This was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year that Darius was king.

2

1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month of that same year, Jehovah spoke again through the prophet Haggai:

2 »Speak 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 house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it nothing in your eyes?’

4 »Be strong Zerubbabel,« said Jehovah. »Be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, said Jehovah. Work! I am with you,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

5 »I gave my word when you came out of Egypt that my Spirit would be with you. Do not fear!«

6 Jehovah of Hosts proclaims: »Soon I will shake heaven and earth, land and sea!

7 »I will shake all the nations and make them afraid. The treasures of all the nations will be brought here. I will fill this house with glory.

8 »The silver and gold of the world is mine,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

9 »The glory of this house will be greater than it was before. I will give my people peace.« Jehovah of Hosts has spoken.

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was king, Jehovah spoke again to the prophet Haggai.

11 He said: »Ask the priests for a ruling on this question of law.

12 »A man takes a piece of consecrated meat from a sacrifice and carries it in a fold of his robe. He then lets his robe touch any bread, cooked food, wine, olive oil, or any kind of food at all. Will it make that food consecrated also?« When the question was asked, the priests answered, »No.«

13 Then Haggai asked: »This person is defiled because he has touched a dead body. If he then touches any of these foods, will that make them defiled too?« The priests answered, »Yes.«

14 Then Haggai said: »Jehovah declared that the same thing applies to the people of this nation and to everything they produce; and so everything they offer on the altar is defiled.«

15 »Can you see what has happened to you,« Jehovah asked, »before you started to rebuild the Temple?

16 »You would go to a pile of grain looking for twenty bushels, but there would be only ten. You would go to draw fifty gallons of wine from a vat and find only twenty.

17 »I struck you with scorching winds, mildew and hail to ruin everything you tried to grow,« declared Jehovah, »but you still did not repent.

18 »Today is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day that the foundation of the Temple of Jehovah was completed. See what is going to happen from now on.

19 »There is no grain left. The grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced. However from now on I will bless you.«

20 Jehovah gave Haggai a second message on that same day, the twenty-fourth of the month.

21 »Say to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: I will shake heaven and earth!

22 »I will overthrow kingdoms and end their power. I will overturn chariots and their drivers; the horses will die, and their riders will kill one another.«

23 »On that day,« declared Jehovah of Hosts, »I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,« declared Jehovah. »I will make you important like a signet signature ring, because I have chosen you,« proclaimed Jehovah of Hosts.