Chapter 2
Assurance of God’s Presence. 1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through Haggai the prophet: 2 Speak to the governor of Judah, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and 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?
And how do you see it now?
Does it not seem like nothing in your eyes?(A)
4 Now be strong, Zerubbabel—oracle of the Lord—
be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, high priest,
Be strong, all you people of the land—oracle of the Lord—
and work! For I am with you—oracle of the Lord of hosts.
5 This is the commitment I made to you
when you came out of Egypt.
My spirit remains in your midst;
do not fear!
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts:
In just a little while,
I will shake the heavens and the earth,(B)
the sea and the dry land.
7 I will shake all the nations,
so that the treasures of all the nations will come in.
And I will fill this house with glory—
says the Lord of hosts.(C)
8 Mine is the silver and mine the gold—oracle of the Lord of hosts.
9 Greater will be the glory of this house(D)
the latter more than the former—says the Lord of hosts;
And in this place I will give you peace—
oracle of the Lord of hosts.
Priestly Ruling with Prophetic Interpretation. 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet: 11 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests for a ruling: 12 If someone carries sanctified meat in the fold of a garment and the fold touches bread, soup, wine, oil, or any other food, do they become sanctified? “No,” the priests answered. 13 Then Haggai asked: “If a person defiled from contact with a corpse touches any of these, do they become defiled?” The priests answered, “They become defiled.”(E) 14 Then Haggai replied:
So is this people, and so is this nation
in my sight—oracle of the Lord—
And so is all the work of their hands;
what they offer there is defiled.
15 Now reflect, from this day forward—before you set stone to stone in the temple of the Lord, 16 what was your experience?
When one went to a heap of grain for twenty ephahs,
there were only ten;
When one went to a vat to draw fifty ephahs,
there were only twenty.(F)
17 I struck you, and all the work of your hands,
with searing wind, blight, and hail,
yet you did not return to me—oracle of the Lord.(G)
18 Reflect from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. From the day on which the temple of the Lord was founded, reflect!
19 Is there still seed in the storehouse?
Have the vine, the fig, the pomegranate,
and the olive tree still not borne fruit?
From this day, I will bless you.
Future Hope. 20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21 Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah:
I will shake the heavens and the earth;
22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms,
and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.
I will overthrow the chariots and their riders,
and the riders with their horses
will fall by each other’s swords.(H)
23 On that day—oracle of the Lord of hosts—I will take you, my servant, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel—oracle of the Lord—and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you—oracle of the Lord of hosts.(I)
Footnotes
- 2:1
- 2:3
- 2:6–9
- 2:9
- 2:10–14
- 2:10
- 2:11
- 2:14
- 2:15–19
- 2:16
- 2:18
- 2:19
- 2:20–23
- 2:20
- 2:23
Cross references
- 2:3 : Ezr 3:10–13.
- 2:6 : Hb 12:26.
- 2:7 : Is 60:7–11.
- 2:9 : 1 Kgs 8:11.
- 2:13 : Lv 22:4–7.
- 2:16 : Hos 4:3a.
- 2:17 : Am 4:9.
- 2:22 : Sir 49:11.
- 2:23 : Zec 6:12–13.
