The Glorious New Temple
1-2 On the twenty-first day of the next month, the Lord told Haggai the prophet to speak this message to Governor Zerubbabel, High Priest Joshua, and everyone else:
3 Does anyone remember how glorious this temple used to be? Now it looks like nothing. 4 But cheer up! Because I, the Lord All-Powerful, will be here to help you with the work, 5 just as I promised your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. Don't worry. My Spirit is right here with you.
6 Soon I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake the nations, and their treasures will be brought here. Then the brightness of my glory will fill this temple. 8 All silver and gold belong to me, 9 and I promise that this new temple will be more glorious than the first one. I will also bless this city with peace.
The Past and the Future
10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the Lord God All-Powerful told the prophet Haggai 11 to ask the priests for their opinion on the following matters:
12 Suppose meat ready to be sacrificed to God is being carried in the folds of someone's clothing, and the clothing rubs against some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or any other food. Would those foods that were touched then become acceptable for sacrifice?
“Of course not,” the priests answered.
13 Then Haggai said, “Suppose someone has touched a dead body and is considered unacceptable to worship God. If that person touches these foods, would they become unclean?”
“Of course they would,” the priests answered.
14 So the Lord told Haggai to say:
That's how it is with this entire nation. Everything you do and every sacrifice you offer is unacceptable to me. 15 But from now on, things will get better. Before you started laying the foundation for the temple, 16 you recalled what life was like in the past. When you wanted 200 kilograms of wheat, there were only 10, and when you wanted 50 jars of wine, there were only 20. 17 I made all of your hard work useless by sending mildew, mold, and hail—but you still did not return to me, your Lord.
18 Today you have completed the foundation for my temple, so listen to what your future will be like. 19 Although you have not yet harvested any grain, grapes, figs, pomegranates, or olives, I will richly bless you in the days ahead.
God's Promise to Zerubbabel
20 That same day the Lord spoke to Haggai again and said:
21 Tell Governor Zerubbabel of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth 22 and wipe out kings and their kingdoms. I will overturn war chariots, and then cavalry troops will start slaughtering each other. 23 But tell my servant Zerubbabel that I, the Lord All-Powerful, have chosen him, and he will rule in my name.
1 In the foure and twentieth day of the sixt moneth, in the second yeere of King Darius, 2 In the seuenth moneth, in the one and twentieth day of the moneth, came the worde of the Lord by the ministerie of the Prophet Haggai, saying, 3 Speake nowe to Zerubbabel the sonne of Shealtiel prince of Iudah, and to Iehoshua the sonne of Iehozadak the hie Priest, and to the residue of the people, saying, 4 Who is left among you, that sawe this House in her first glory, and howe doe you see it nowe? is it not in your eyes, in comparison of it as nothing? 5 Yet nowe be of good courage, O Zerubbabel, sayth the Lord, and be of good comfort, O Iehoshua, sonne of Iehozadak the hie Priest: and be strong, all ye people of the land, sayth the Lord, and doe it: for I am with you, sayth the Lord of hostes, 6 According to the worde that I couenanted with you, when ye came out of Egypt: so my Spirite shall remaine among you, feare ye not. 7 For thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Yet a litle while, and I will shake the heauens and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land: 8 And I will moue all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this House with glory, sayth the Lord of hostes. 9 The siluer is mine, and the golde is mine, sayth the Lord of hostes. 10 The glory of this last House shall be greater then the first, sayth the Lord of hostes: and in this place will I giue peace, sayth the Lord of hostes. 11 In the foure and twentieth day of the ninth moneth, in the second yeere of Darius, came the worde of the Lord vnto the Prophet Haggai, saying, 12 Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, Aske nowe the Priests concerning the Law, and say, 13 If one beare holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt doe touch the bread, or the potage, or the wine, or oyle, or any meate, shall it be holy? And the Priests answered and said, No. 14 Then sayde Haggai, If a polluted person touch any of these, shall it be vncleane? And the Priests answered, and sayd, It shalbe vncleane. 15 Then answered Haggai, and sayd, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord: and so are all the workes of their hands, and that which they offer here, is vncleane. 16 And nowe, I pray you, consider in your mindes: from this day, and afore, euen afore a stone was layde vpon a stone in the Temple of the Lord: 17 Before these things were, when one came to an heape of twentie measures, there were but ten: when one came to the wine presse for to drawe out fiftie vessels out of the presse, there were but twentie. 18 I smote you with blasting, and with mildewe, and with haile, in all the labours of your hands: yet you turned not to me, saith the Lord. 19 Consider, I pray you, in your mindes, from this day, and afore from the foure and twentieth day of the ninth moneth, euen from the day that the foundation of the Lords Temple was laide: consider it in your mindes. 20 Is the seede yet in the barne? as yet the vine, and the figtree, and the pomegranate, and the oliue tree hath not brought forth: from this day will I blesse you. 21 And againe the worde of the Lord came vnto Haggai in the foure and twentieth day of the moneth, saying, 22 Speake to Zerubbabel the prince of Iudah, and say, I wil shake the heauens and the earth, 23 And I will ouerthrowe the throne of kingdomes, and I wil destroy the strength of the kingdomes of the heathen, and I wil ouerthrowe the charets, and those that ride in them, and the horse and the riders shall come downe, euery one by the sword of his brother. 24 In that day, saith the Lord of hostes, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel my seruant, the sonne of Shealtiel, sayth the Lord, and wil make thee as a signet: for I haue chosen thee, sayth the Lord of hostes.