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The temple will be beautiful

2 On the 21st day of the seventh month, the Lord spoke again to Haggai, his prophet. ² The Lord told Haggai that he must speak to Zerubbabel and to Joshua. Shealtiel's son, Zerubbabel, was the ruler of Judah. Jehozadak's son, Joshua was the leader of the priests. The Lord also told Haggai to speak his message to all the people who had returned to live in Jerusalem. The Lord told Haggai to say this to them all:

³ The Lord says, ‘Some of you will remember how beautiful my temple was in past times. Look at it now! It seems nothing like it was before. ⁴ But now, Zerubbabel, be strong and brave! Joshua too, and all you people who belong here in Judah, be strong and brave! Now begin to work, because I am with you to help you. That is what I, the Almighty Lord , say to you. ⁵ Do not be afraid. Remember that I made a promise to your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt. I promised them that I would be with them. My Spirit is now with you too.

⁶ I, the Almighty Lord also tell you this: Soon, I will cause the sky and the whole earth to shake. I will also cause the sea and the land to shake. ⁷ I will cause people in all the nations of the world to shake with fear. They will come here to offer their valuable gifts. At that time, I will cause my temple to be full of glory. I, the Almighty Lord , tell you this. ⁸ Yes, all the silver and gold in the world belongs to me. And I promise you this: ⁹ This new temple will be even more beautiful than the old temple in past times. Here in this place I will bless my people.’ That is what the Almighty Lord says.

The Lord will be good to his people

¹⁰ The Lord spoke again to Haggai, his prophet, on the 24th day of the ninth month, in the second year since Darius had become king. This was the Lord 's message:

¹¹ The Almighty Lord says, ‘Ask the priests a question about my Law. ¹² A person might be carrying some special, holy meat in his clothes. His clothes might then touch some food. It might be bread, or soup, or wine, or oil. If the clothes that hold the holy meat touch any other food, does that other food also become holy?’ The priests replied, ‘No.’

¹³ Haggai asked the priests another question: ‘If anyone touches a dead body, you know that you become unclean. If an unclean person touches any of these foods, would they also become unclean?’ The priests replied, ‘Yes, those things would be unclean.’

¹⁴ So Haggai told them, ‘This is what the Lord says: This nation and its people are just like that. They are unclean. So everything that they do is also unclean. All the gifts that they offer to me are unclean. I could not accept them. ¹⁵ Think carefully what life was like before you started again to build the Lord 's temple. Do not forget that. ¹⁶ In those days, you hoped to get 20 bags of grain from your fields. But you only got ten bags. You hoped to get 50 jars of wine from your grapes. But you only got 20 jars. ¹⁷ I sent bad weather and other problems to destroy all your crops. All your hard work came to nothing. But you still did not return to worship me, your Lord . ¹⁸ Remember today, the 24th day of the ninth month. You have started again to build my temple. Now you have built its foundation, think about what will happen from today. ¹⁹ You have already eaten the crops that you stored. The grapes, figs, pomegranates and olives are not yet ready for you to pick. But after today, I will bless you. You will have many good things.’ ^{[ a ]}

²⁰ On the same day, the Lord spoke to Haggai again. He said:

²¹ ‘Speak to Zerubbabel, the ruler of Judah. Tell him that I will cause the sky and the whole earth to shake. ²² Tell him that I will destroy the power of foreign kings. I will destroy their armies. Their horses and chariots will fall down. Their soldiers will fight against each other. They will kill each other with their swords.

²³ But I, the Almighty Lord say this to you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel. ^{[ b ]} You are my servant and I have chosen you. On that special day, I will give to you the authority to rule on my behalf. That is the message of the Almighty Lord .’

Footnotes

2:19 Haggai explained why their lives had been so difficult. They had not done what was right. They had not done the things that the Lord had asked them to do. They had done what they themselves had decided. That is why their lives had been so difficult. But now they want to obey God. And they have started to build his temple. And so God promises that they will have enough food. He promises that they will have happy lives.
2:23 Haggai gave this special message from the Lord to Zerubbabel. The Lord still ruled over everything. But he had chosen Zerubbabel to be his servant. The Lord wanted Zerubbabel to rule Judah on his behalf.

The Lord Encourages the People

2 On the 21st day of the seventh month, this message from the Lord came to Haggai: ² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the people. Say this: ³ ‘How many of you people look at this Temple and try to compare it to the beautiful Temple that was destroyed? What do you think? Does this Temple seem like nothing when you compare it with the first Temple? ⁴ But the Lord says, “Zerubbabel, don’t be discouraged!” And the Lord says, “Joshua son of Jehozadak, you are the high priest. Don’t be discouraged! And all you people who live in the land, don’t be discouraged! Continue this work, because I am with you.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.

⁵ “‘I made an agreement with you when you left Egypt, and I have kept my promise. My Spirit is with you, so don’t be afraid!’ ⁶ This is what the Lord All-Powerful said, ‘In just a little while, I will once again shake things up. I will shake heaven and earth, and I will shake the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake up the nations, and they will come to you with wealth from every nation. And then I will fill this Temple with glory.’ That is what the Lord All-Powerful said! ⁸ ‘All their silver really belongs to me! And all the gold is mine!’ This is what the Lord All-Powerful said. ⁹ And the Lord All-Powerful said, ‘This last Temple will be more beautiful than the first one, and I will bring peace to this place.’ Remember, this is what the Lord All-Powerful said.”

Today Begins a Time of Blessing

¹⁰ On the 24th day of the ninth month in the second year Darius was king of Persia, this message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet: ¹¹ “The Lord All-Powerful commands you to ask the priests what the law says about these things: ¹² ‘Suppose a man carries some meat in the fold of his clothes. This meat is part of a sacrifice, so it is holy. If his clothes touch some bread, cooked food, wine, oil, or some other food, will the thing the clothes touch become holy?’”

The priests answered, “No.”

¹³ Then Haggai said, “Whoever touches a dead body will become unclean. Now if they touch anything else, will it also become unclean?”

The priests answered, “Yes, it will become unclean.”

¹⁴ Then Haggai said, “This is what the Lord God said: ‘This is also true for the people of this nation. They were not pure and holy before me. So anything they did with their hands and anything they offered at the altar became unclean.

¹⁵ “‘Think about what has happened to you. Think about how things were before you began working on the Lord ’s Temple. ¹⁶ People wanted 20 measures of grain, but there were only 10 measures in the pile. People wanted to get 50 jars of wine from the wine vat, but there were only 20. ¹⁷ That was because I punished you. I sent the diseases that killed your plants and the hail that destroyed the things you made with your hands. I did this, but still you did not come to me.’ This is what the Lord said.

¹⁸ “The Lord said, ‘Today is the 24th day of the ninth month. You have finished laying the foundation of the Lord ’s Temple. So notice what happens from this day forward: ¹⁹ Your seed for planting is still in the barn. And look at the vines, the fig trees, and the pomegranate and olive trees. They have not yet produced any fruit. But beginning today, I will bless you.’”

²⁰ Another message from the Lord came to Haggai on the 24th day of the month. This is the message: ²¹ “Go to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and tell him that I will shake heaven and earth. ²² And I will overthrow many kings and kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of those other people. I will destroy their chariots and their riders. I will defeat their war horses and riders. These armies are friends now, but they will turn against each other and kill each other with swords.” ²³ This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: “Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant, I have chosen you. I, the Lord , tell you that at that time I will use you like a signet ring to represent my authority!”

This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.

2 In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying,

² Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, and to the residue of the people, saying,

³ Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?

⁴ Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the Lord ; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord , and work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts:

⁵ According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.

⁶ For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

⁷ And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts.

⁸ The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

⁹ The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.

¹⁰ In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying,

¹¹ Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,

¹² If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

¹³ Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.

¹⁴ Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord ; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.

¹⁵ And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward, from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord :

¹⁶ Since those days were, when one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten: when one came to the pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

¹⁷ I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the labours of your hands; yet ye turned not to me, saith the Lord .

¹⁸ Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord 's temple was laid, consider it.

¹⁹ Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

²⁰ And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying,

²¹ Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I will shake the heavens and the earth;

²² And I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the heathen; and I will overthrow the chariots, and those that ride in them; and the horses and their riders shall come down, every one by the sword of his brother.

²³ In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord , and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.

The Builders Encouraged

2 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by ^{( A )} Haggai the prophet, saying, ² “Speak now to ^{( B )} Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, ^{( C )} governor of Judah, and to ^{( D )} Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the ^{( E )} remnant of the people, saying, ³ ‘Who is ^{( F )} left among you who saw this ^{[ a ]} temple in its ^{( G )} former glory? And how do you see it now? ^{[ b ]} Does it not seem to you like nothing ^{[ c ]} in comparison? ⁴ But now ^{[ d ]} ^{( H )} take 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 )} I am with you,’ declares the Lord of armies. ⁵ ‘As for the ^{[ e ]} ^{( J )} promise which I ^{[ f ]} made you when you came out of Egypt, ^{[ g ]} My ^{( K )} Spirit remains in your midst; ^{( L )} do not fear!’ ⁶ For this is what the Lord of armies says: ‘ ^{( M )} Once more ^{[ h ]} in a ^{( N )} little while, I am going to ^{( O )} shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake ^{( P )} all the nations; and ^{[ i ]} they will come with the ^{( Q )} wealth of all nations, and I will ^{( R )} fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of armies. ⁸ ‘The ^{( S )} silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of armies. ⁹ ‘The latter ^{( T )} glory of this house will be greater than the ^{( U )} former,’ says the Lord of armies, ‘and in this place I will give ^{( V )} peace,’ declares the Lord of armies.”

¹⁰ On the ^{( W )} twenty-fourth of the ninth month , in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, ¹¹ “The Lord of armies says this: ‘ ^{( X )} Now ask the priests for a ^{[ j ]} ruling: ¹² If someone carries ^{( Y )} holy meat in the ^{[ k ]} fold of his garment, and touches bread with ^{[ l ]} this fold, or touches cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.” ¹³ Then Haggai said, “ ^{( Z )} If one who is unclean from a ^{[ m ]} corpse touches any of these things , will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.” ¹⁴ Then Haggai responded and said, “‘ ^{( AA )} 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. ¹⁵ But now, do ^{[ n ]} ^{( AB )} consider from this day ^{[ o ]} onward: before one ^{( AC )} stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord , ¹⁶ ^{[ p ]} from 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 ^{[ q ]} measures, there would be only twenty. ¹⁷ I struck you and every work of your hands with ^{( AD )} scorching wind, mildew, and hail; ^{[ r ]} yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord . ¹⁸ ‘Do ^{[ s ]} ^{( AE )} consider from this day ^{[ t ]} onward, from the ^{( AF )} twenty-fourth day of the ninth month ; from the day when the temple of the Lord was ^{( AG )} founded, ^{[ u ]} consider: 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 ^{( AH )} bless you .’”

²⁰ Then the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the ^{( AI )} twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, ²¹ “Speak to ^{( AJ )} Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to ^{( AK )} shake the heavens and the earth. ²² And I will ^{( AL )} overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the ^{( AM )} power of the kingdoms of the ^{[ v ]} nations; and I will ^{( AN )} overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the ^{( AO )} horses and their riders will go down, ^{( AP )} every one by the sword of another.’ 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 ^{[ w ]} ^{( AQ )} signet ring, for ^{( AR )} I have chosen you,’” declares the Lord of armies.

Footnotes

Haggai 2:3 Lit house
Haggai 2:3 Lit Is it not in your eyes like
Haggai 2:3 Lit like it
Haggai 2:4 Lit be strong
Haggai 2:5 Lit word
Haggai 2:5 Lit cut with
Haggai 2:5 Or while My Spirit was standing
Haggai 2:6 Lit it is a little
Haggai 2:7 Another reading is the wealth of all nations will come
Haggai 2:11 Lit law ; or saying
Haggai 2:12 Lit wing
Haggai 2:12 Lit his wing
Haggai 2:13 Lit soul
Haggai 2:15 Lit set your heart
Haggai 2:15 Or backward
Haggai 2:16 Lit since they were
Haggai 2:16 Lit troughs
Haggai 2:17 As in LXX; MT but you were not to Me
Haggai 2:18 Lit set your heart
Haggai 2:18 Or backward
Haggai 2:18 Lit set your heart
Haggai 2:22 Or Gentiles
Haggai 2:23 Or seal

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Table of Contents

The temple will be beautiful

The Lord will be good to his people

Footnotes

The Lord Encourages the People

Today Begins a Time of Blessing

The Builders Encouraged

Footnotes

Cross references

Blessings for a Defiled People

Zerubbabel the Lord ’s Signet Ring

Footnotes

Cross references

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BibleStudyIt Haggai 2

Haggai 2's Chapter Tabs Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.

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Your Private Notes

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The temple will be beautiful

The Lord will be good to his people

Footnotes

The Lord Encourages the People

Today Begins a Time of Blessing

The Builders Encouraged

Footnotes

Cross references

Blessings for a Defiled People

Zerubbabel the Lord ’s Signet Ring

Footnotes

Cross references

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Haggai 2's Chapter Tabs
Scroll past these tabs to continue or click on one of them to navigate out of this webpage.