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A Call to Build the House of the Lord

In the second year of King Darius,^(a) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai^(b) to Zerubbabel^(c) son of Shealtiel, governor^(d) of Judah, and to Joshua^(e) son of Jozadak,^[a](f) the high priest:^(g)

This is what the Lord Almighty^(h) says: "These people⁽ⁱ⁾ say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord 's house.^(j)'"

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^(k)

"Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,^(l) while this house remains a ruin?^(m)"

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought⁽ⁿ⁾ to your ways.

You have planted much, but harvested little.^(o) You eat, but never have enough.^(p) You drink, but never have your fill.^(q) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,^(r) only to put them in a purse with holes in it."

This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought^(s) to your ways.

Go up into the mountains and bring down timber^(t) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure^(u) in it and be honored,^(v)" says the Lord .

"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.^(w) What you brought home, I blew^(x) away. Why?" declares the Lord Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin,^(y) while each of you is busy with your own house.

Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld^(z) their dew^(aa) and the earth its crops.^(ab)

I called for a drought^(ac) on the fields and the mountains,^(ad) on the grain, the new wine,^(ae) the olive oil^(af) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.^(ag)"

Then Zerubbabel^(ah) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant^(ai) of the people obeyed^(aj) the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared^(ak) the Lord .

Then Haggai,^(al) the Lord 's messenger,^(am) gave this message of the Lord to the people: "I am with^(an) you," declares the Lord .

So the Lord stirred up^(ao) the spirit of Zerubbabel^(ap) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,^(aq) the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant^(ar) of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God,

on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.^(as)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,^(at)

¹on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,^(a) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^(b)

"Speak to Zerubbabel^(c) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,^[a](d) the high priest, and to the remnant^(e) of the people. Ask them,

‘Who of you is left who saw this house^(f) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?^(g)

But now be strong, Zerubbabel,' declares the Lord . ‘Be strong,^(h) Joshua son of Jozadak,⁽ⁱ⁾ the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the Lord , ‘and work. For I am with^(j) you,' declares the Lord Almighty.

‘This is what I covenanted^(k) with you when you came out of Egypt.^(l) And my Spirit^(m) remains among you. Do not fear.'⁽ⁿ⁾

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while^(o) I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,^(p) the sea and the dry land.

I will shake all nations, and what is desired^(q) by all nations will come, and I will fill this house^(r) with glory,^(s)' says the Lord Almighty.

‘The silver is mine and the gold^(t) is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty.

‘The glory^(u) of this present house^(v) will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,^(w)' declares the Lord Almighty."

Blessings for a Defiled People

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,^(x) in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai:

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests^(y) what the law says:

If someone carries consecrated meat^(z) in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?^(aa)'" The priests answered, "No."

Then Haggai said, "If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?" "Yes," the priests replied, "it becomes defiled.^(ab)"

Then Haggai said, "‘So it is with this people^(ac) and this nation in my sight,' declares the Lord . ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer^(ad) there is defiled.

"‘Now give careful thought^(ae) to this from this day on^[b]—consider how things were before one stone was laid^(af) on another in the Lord 's temple.^(ag)

When anyone came to a heap^(ah) of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat^(ai) to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.^(aj)

I struck all the work of your hands^(ak) with blight,^(al) mildew and hail,^(am) yet you did not return^(an) to me,' declares the Lord .^(ao)

‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought^(ap) to the day when the foundation^(aq) of the Lord 's temple was laid. Give careful thought:

Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate^(ar) and the olive tree have not borne fruit.^(as) "‘From this day on I will bless^(at) you.'"

The word of the Lord came to Haggai^(au) a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:^(av)

"Tell Zerubbabel^(aw) governor of Judah that I am going to shake^(ax) the heavens and the earth.

I will overturn^(ay) royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.^(az) I will overthrow chariots^(ba) and their drivers; horses and their riders^(bb) will fall, each by the sword of his brother.^(bc)

"‘On that day,^(bd)' declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant^(be) Zerubbabel^(bf) son of Shealtiel,' declares the Lord , ‘and I will make you like my signet ring,^(bg) for I have chosen you,' declares the Lord Almighty."