Haggai 2:11-23 ▼

11 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, ‘Ask now the priests about the law:

12 If a man carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches bread with this fold or cooked food, wine, oil, or any other food, will it become holy?’” And the priests answered, “No.”

13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from a corpse touches any of these, will the latter become unclean?” And the priests answered, “It will become unclean.”

14 Then Haggai answered and said, “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they bring near to Me there is unclean.

15 But now, oh set your heart to consider from this day onward: from before one stone was set on another in the temple of Yahweh,

16 from when it was that one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, then there would be only ten; and from when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty troughs full, then there would be only twenty.

17 I struck you and every work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares Yahweh.

18 ‘Oh set your heart to consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month; from the day when the temple of Yahweh was founded, set your heart to 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 borne fruit. Yet from this day on I will bless you.’”

20 Then the word of Yahweh came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

21 “Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying, ‘I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

22 I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations; and I will overthrow the chariots and their riders, and the horses and their riders will go down, everyone by the sword of another.’

23 ‘On that day,’ declares Yahweh of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’” declares Yahweh of hosts.