Haggai 2
2
1a second message came from the Lord. It came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 21st day of the seventh month. The Lord said, 2“Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Also speak to Joshua the high priest, the son of Jozadak. And speak to all my people who are still left alive. Ask them, 3‘Did any of you who are here see how beautiful this temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It doesn’t look so good, does it? 4But be strong, Zerubbabel,’ announces the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua. Be strong, all of you people in the land,’ announces the Lord. ‘Start rebuilding. I am with you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all. 5‘That is what I promised you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit continues to be with you. So do not be afraid.’ ”
6The Lord says, “In a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth once more. I will also shake the ocean and the dry land. 7I will shake all the nations. Then what is desired by all nations will come to my temple. And I will fill the temple with glory,” says the Lord who rules over all. 8“The silver belongs to me. So does the gold,” announces the Lord who rules over all. 9“The new temple will be more beautiful than the first one was,” says the Lord. “And in this place I will bring peace,” announces the Lord who rules over all.
The Lord Will Make His People Pure and “Clean”
10A third message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was king. 11The Lord who rules over all speaks. He says, “Ask the priests what the law says. 12Suppose someone carries holy meat in the clothes they are wearing. And the clothes touch some bread or stew. Or they touch some wine, olive oil or other food. Then do these things also become holy?”
The priests answered, “No.”
13So Haggai said, “Suppose someone is made ‘unclean’ by touching a dead body. And then they touch one of these things. Does it become ‘unclean’ too?”
“Yes,” the priests replied. “It does.”
14Then here is what Haggai said. “The Lord announces, ‘That is how I look at these people and this nation. Anything they do and anything they sacrifice on the altar is “unclean.”
15“ ‘Think carefully about this from now on. Think about how things were before the Lord’s temple was built. This was before one stone was laid on top of another. 16People went to get 20 measures of grain. But they could find only 10. They went to where the wine was stored to get 50 measures. But only 20 were there. 17You worked very hard to produce all those things. But I struck them with rot, mold and hail. And you still did not return to me,’ announces the Lord. 18It is the 24th day of the ninth month. From this day on, here is what you should think carefully about. Think about the day when the foundation of my temple was laid. 19Are any seeds still left in your barns? Until now, your vines and fig trees have not produced any fruit. Your pomegranate and olive trees have not produced any either.
“ ‘But from this day on I will bless you.’ ”
The Lord Compares Zerubbabel to His Royal Ring
20A final message from the Lord came to Haggai. This message also came on the 24th day of the ninth month. The Lord said, 21“Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah. Tell him I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22I will throw down royal thrones. I will smash the power of other kingdoms. I will destroy chariots and their drivers. Horses and their riders will fall. They will be killed by the swords of their relatives.
23“ ‘Zerubbabel, at that time I will pick you,’ announces the Lord. ‘You are my servant,’ announces the Lord. ‘You will be like a ring that has my royal mark on it. I have chosen you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all.”
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Haggai 2
2
Encouragement and Promise
1On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,#Lv 23:33–43; 2Ch 7:8–10 the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2“Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the remnant of the people: 3‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Doesn’t it seem to you like nothing by comparison?#1Kg 5:13–16; 6:38; 1Ch 29:1–8; Ezr 3:10–13; Zch 4:10 4Even so, be strong, Zerubbabel — this is the Lord’s declaration.#Jos 1:6–9; 1Ch 28:10,20 Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land — this is the Lord’s declaration. Work! For I am with you#Hg 1:13; Zch 8:9 — the declaration of the Lord of Armies. 5This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt,#Ex 33:14–17 and my Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.’”
6For the Lord of Armies says this: “Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth,#Hg 2:21 the sea and the dry land.#Is 64:2; Ezk 38:19–20; Heb 12:26–28 7I will shake all the nations so that the treasures of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,”#Ex 40:34–35; 1Kg 8:10–11; Is 60:1–13 says the Lord of Armies. 8“The silver and gold belong to me” — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies. 9“The final glory of this house#2:9 Or The glory of this latter house will be greater than the first,”#Mt 12:42 says the Lord of Armies. “I will provide peace in this place”#Is 60:18 — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
From Deprivation to Blessing
10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11“This is what the Lord of Armies says: Ask the priests for a ruling.#Mal 2:7 12If a man is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does it become holy?” #Jr 11:15
The priests answered, “No.”
13Then Haggai asked, “If someone defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” #Lv 11:39; 22:4–6; Nm 19:11–13,22
The priests answered, “It becomes defiled.”
14Then Haggai replied, “So is this people, and so is this nation before me — this is the Lord’s declaration. And so is every work of their hands; even what they offer there is defiled.
15“Now from this day on, think carefully: Before one stone was placed on another in the Lord’s temple, 16what state were you in?#2:16 Hb obscure When someone came to a grain heap of twenty measures, it only amounted to ten; when one came to the winepress to dip fifty measures from the vat, it only amounted to twenty. 17I struck you — all the work of your hands — with blight, mildew,#Dt 28:22; 1Kg 8:37; Am 4:9 and hail,#Ps 105:32–33 but you didn’t turn to me — this is the Lord’s declaration. 18From this day on, think carefully;#Hg 1:5,7 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 seed left in the granary? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet produced. But from this day on I will bless you.”#Zch 8:9–13
Promise to Zerubbabel
20The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.#Hg 2:6–7; Ezk 38:19–20 22I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the Gentile kingdoms.#Gn 19:25; Am 4:11 I will overturn chariots and their riders. Horses and their riders will fall, each by his brother’s sword. 23On that day” — this is the declaration of the Lord of Armies — “I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “and make you like my signet ring,#Est 8:8; Jr 22:23–25 for I have chosen you.”#Mt 1:12–13 This is the declaration of the Lord of Armies.
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