| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Then on October 17 of that same year, the LORD sent another message through the prophet Haggai. | 1On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying: |
| 2“Say this to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of God’s people there in the land: | 2“Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and also to the remnant of the people. Ask them, |
| 3‘Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! | 3‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not appear to you like nothing in comparison?’ |
| 4But now the LORD says: Be strong, Zerubbabel. Be strong, Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. | 4But now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work! For I am with you, declares the LORD of Hosts. |
| 5My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.’ | 5This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt. And My Spirit remains among you; do not be afraid.” |
| 6“For this is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. | 6For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. |
| 7I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. | 7I will shake all the nations, and they will come with all their treasures, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Hosts. |
| 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. | 8The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of Hosts. |
| 9The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” Blessings Promised for Obedience | 9The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former, says the LORD of Hosts. And in this place I will provide peace, declares the LORD of Hosts.” |
| 10On December 18 of the second year of King Darius’s reign, the LORD sent this message to the prophet Haggai: | 10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying, |
| 11“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says. Ask the priests this question about the law: | 11“This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling. |
| 12‘If one of you is carrying some meat from a holy sacrifice in his robes and his robe happens to brush against some bread or stew, wine or olive oil, or any other kind of food, will it also become holy?’” The priests replied, “No.” | 12If a man carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and it touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, does that item become holy?’ ” “No,” replied the priests. |
| 13Then Haggai asked, “If someone becomes ceremonially unclean by touching a dead person and then touches any of these foods, will the food be defiled?” And the priests answered, “Yes.” | 13So Haggai asked, “If one who is defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” “Yes, it becomes defiled,” the priests answered. |
| 14Then Haggai responded, “That is how it is with this people and this nation, says the LORD. Everything they do and everything they offer is defiled by their sin. | 14Then Haggai replied, “So it is with this people and this nation before Me, declares the LORD, and so it is with every work of their hands; whatever they offer there is defiled. |
| 15Look at what was happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of the LORD’s Temple. | 15Now consider carefully from this day forward: Before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD, |
| 16When you hoped for a twenty-bushel crop, you harvested only ten. When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty. | 16from that time, when one came expecting a heap of twenty ephahs of grain, there were but ten. When one came to the winepress to draw out fifty baths, there were but twenty. |
| 17I sent blight and mildew and hail to destroy everything you worked so hard to produce. Even so, you refused to return to me, says the LORD. | 17I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you did not turn to Me, declares the LORD. |
| 18“Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the foundation of the LORD’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. | 18Consider carefully from this day forward—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid—consider carefully: |
| 19I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.” Promises for Zerubbabel | 19Is there still seed in the barn? The vine, the fig, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet yielded fruit. But from this day on, I will bless you.” |
| 20On that same day, December 18, the LORD sent this second message to Haggai: | 20For the second time that day, the twenty-fourth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to Haggai, saying, |
| 21“Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth. | 21“Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth: |
| 22I will overthrow royal thrones and destroy the power of foreign kingdoms. I will overturn their chariots and riders. The horses will fall, and their riders will kill each other. | 22I will overturn royal thrones and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their riders; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. |
| 23“But when this happens, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, I will honor you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant. I will make you like a signet ring on my finger, says the LORD, for I have chosen you. I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” | 23On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will take you, My servant, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and I will make you like My signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of Hosts.” |
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