Study Desk

The Lord God hasn't forgotten those survivors in Judah, and he will help them— his people will take your land to use for pasture. And when evening comes, they will rest in houses at Ashkelon.

The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, said: I've heard Moab and Ammon insult my people and threaten their nation.

I will fiercely attack. Then every god on this earth will shrink to nothing, and everyone of every nation will bow down to me, right where they are.

Forever rebellious and rejecting correction, Jerusalem refuses to trust or obey the Lord God.

All who do evil are shameless, but the Lord does right and is always fair. With the dawn of each day, God brings about justice.

God felt certain that Jerusalem would learn to respect and obey him. Then he would hold back from punishing the city and not wipe it out. But everyone there was eager to start sinning again.

The Lord your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love."

So the Lord God All-Powerful made everyone eager to work on his temple, especially Zerubbabel and Joshua.

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the Lord God All-Powerful told the prophet Haggai

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.

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.

Zerubbabel, that mountain in front of you will be leveled to the ground. Then you will bring out the temple's most important stone and shout, "God has been very kind."

When people from distant lands come and help build the temple of the Lord All-Powerful, you will know that the Lord is the one who sent me. And this will happen, if you truly obey the Lord your God.

and I will bring them to live in Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God, faithful to bring about justice.

When this happens, ten people from nations with different languages will grab a Jew by his clothes and say, "Let us go with you. We've heard that God is on your side." I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!

No longer will the Philistines eat meat with blood in it or any unclean food. They will become part of the people of our God from the tribe of Judah. And God will accept the people of Ekron, as he did the Jebusites.

God says, "I will stand guard to protect my temple from those who come to attack. I know what's happening, and no one will mistreat my people ever again."

Like a cloud, the Lord God will appear over his people, and his arrows will flash like lightning. God will sound his trumpet and attack in a whirlwind from the south.

The Lord God will save them on that day, because they are his people, and they will shine on his land like jewels in a crown.

I will strengthen the kingdoms of Judah and Israel. And I will show mercy because I am the Lord , their God. I will answer their prayers and bring them home. Then it will seem as though I had never rejected them.