¹ In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, came the word of Yahweh, by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

² Speak, I pray thee, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, pasha of Judah, and unto Jehoshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest,—and unto the remnant of the people, saying:—

³ Who is there among you that is left, that saw this house, in its former glory? And how do ye see it now? Is it not, in comparison with that, as nothing, in your eyes?

⁴ Now, therefore—Be strong, O Zerubbabel, urgeth Yahweh, and be strong, O Jehoshua son of Jehozadak the high priest, and be strong, all ye people of the land, urgeth Yahweh, and work; For, I, am with you, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.

⁵ The very thing that I solemnized with you, when ye came forth out of the land of Egypt, That, my spirit abiding in your midst, ye should not fear.

⁶ For, thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Yet once, a little, it is,—and I am shaking the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry land;

⁷ And I will shake all the nations, and the delight of all the nations, shall come in,—and I will fill this house with glory, saith Yahweh of hosts.

⁸ Mine is the silver and Mine the gold, Declareth Yahweh of hosts:

⁹ Greater shall be the last glory of this house than the first, saith Yahweh of hosts,—and, in this place, will I give prosperity, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of Yahweh unto Haggai the prophet, saying:

¹¹ Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts,—I pray you, ask the priests a direction, saying:

¹² If a man carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and then toucheth with his skirt bread or a cooked dish or wine or oil or any food, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No.

¹³ Then said Haggai, If one who is defiled for a dead person touch any of these, shall it be defiled? And the priests answered and said, It shall be defiled.

¹⁴ Then answered Haggai and said, So, is this people and, so, is this nation before me, Declareth Yahweh, and, so, is every work of their hands,—therefore, whatsoever they offer there, is, defiled.

¹⁵ Now, therefore, I pray you apply your heart, from this day and upwards,—So long as there had not been laid one stone upon another in the temple of Yahweh,

¹⁶ So long were things thus, that, on coming unto a heap of twenty, then was it found to be ten,—on coming unto the vat to draw off fifty measures, then were there found to be twenty.

¹⁷ I smote you with blight and with mildew and with hail, in all the work of your hands,—Yet ye did not return unto me, Declareth Yahweh.

¹⁸ Apply your heart, I pray you, from this day and upwards,—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day when was founded the temple of Yahweh, apply your heart:

¹⁹ Is the seed yet in the store-house? Howbeit, though at present neither, the vine nor the fig-tree nor the pomegranate nor the olive tree, hath brought forth, from this very day, will I bless you.

²⁰ Then came the word of Yahweh, the second time unto Haggai, on the twenty-fourth of the month, saying:

²¹ Speak thou unto Zerubbabel, pasha of Judah, saying,—I am shaking, the heavens and the earth;

²² And I will overturn the throne of kingdoms, and will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations,—and I will overturn the chariots and them who ride therein, and horses and their riders, shall come down, every man by the sword of his brother.

²³ On that day, declareth Yahweh of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel—my servant, declareth Yahweh, and will set thee as a signet-ring; For, thee, have I chosen, Declareth Yahweh of hosts.