2:1 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
2:2 “Speak now 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,
2:3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this ①temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? ②Does it not seem to you like nothing ③in comparison?
▷ ①Lit house ②Lit Is it not in your eyes like ③Lit like it
2:4 But now ①take courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the LORD of armies.
▷ ①Lit be strong
2:5 ‘As for the ①promise which I ②made you when you came out of Egypt, ③My Spirit remains in your midst; do not fear!’
▷ ①Lit word ②Lit cut with ③Or while My Spirit was standing
2:6 For this is what the LORD of armies says: ‘Once more ①in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.
▷ ①Lit it is a little
2:7 I will shake all the nations; and ①they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD of armies.
▷ ①Another reading is the wealth of all nations will come
2:8 ‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of armies.
2:9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ declares the LORD of armies.”
2:10 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,
2:11 “The LORD of armies says this: ‘Now ask the priests for a ①ruling:
▷ ①Lit law; or saying
2:12 If someone carries holy meat in the ①fold of his garment, and touches bread with ②this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’ ” And the priests answered, “No.”
▷ ①Lit wing ②Lit his wing
2:13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a ①corpse touches any of these things, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.”
▷ ①Lit soul
2:14 Then Haggai responded 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.
2:15 But now, do ①consider from this day ②onward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD,
▷ ①Lit set your heart ②Or backward
2:16 ①from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty ②measures, there would be only twenty.
▷ ①Lit since they were ②Lit troughs
2:17 I struck you and every work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; ①yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the LORD.
▷ ①As in LXX; MT but you were not to Me
2:18 ‘Do ①consider from this day ②onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of the LORD was founded, ③consider:
▷ ①Lit set your heart ②Or backward ③Lit set your heart
2:19 Is the seed still in the barn? Even including the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree, it has not produced fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’ ”
2:20 Then the word of the LORD came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,
2:21 “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
2:22 And I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the ①nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, every one by the sword of another.’
▷ ①Or Gentiles
2:23 ‘On that day,’ declares the LORD of armies, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like a ①signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ ” declares the LORD of armies.
▷ ①Or seal