¹ On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying:

² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak,¹ the high priest, and also to the remnant of the people. Ask them,

1. Jehozadak is a variant of Jozadak; also in verse 4; see Ezra 3:2.

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?’

⁴ But 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.

⁵ This 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 Hosts says: “Once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth,¹ the sea and the dry land.

1. Cited in Hebrews 12:26

⁷ I 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.

⁸ The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of Hosts.

⁹ The 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.”

Blessings for a Defiled People

¹⁰ On 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 Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling.

¹² If 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.

¹³ So 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.

¹⁴ Then 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.

¹⁵ Now consider carefully from this day forward:¹ Before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD,

1. Or backward; also in verse 18

¹⁶ from that time, when one came expecting a heap of twenty ephahs of grain,¹ there were but ten. When one came to the winepress to draw out fifty baths,² there were but twenty.

1. Literally a heap of twenty
2. Literally to draw out fifty from the winepress

¹⁷ I struck you—all the work of your hands—with blight, mildew, and hail, but you did not turn to Me, declares the LORD.

¹⁸ Consider 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:

¹⁹ Is 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.”

Zerubbabel the LORD’s Signet Ring

²⁰ For the second time that day, the twenty-fourth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to Haggai, saying,

²¹ “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth:

²² I 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 On 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.”