1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet:
2 Say to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people:
3 "Is anyone still among you who saw this house in its first splendor? And what does it look like to you now? Does it not seem like nothing at all to you?
4 But take courage now, Zerubbabel, declares the LORD; take courage, Joshua son of Jehozadak, high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, declares the LORD, and get to work; for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts,
5 keeping the word I pledged to you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit stands among you; do not be afraid.
6 For this is what the LORD of hosts says: Once more, in just a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry ground.
7 I will shake every nation, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts.
8 Mine is the silver, and mine the gold, declares the LORD of hosts.
9 Greater will be the latter splendor of this house than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will grant peace, declares the LORD of hosts."
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:
11 This is what the LORD of hosts says: Ask the priests for a ruling on the law:
12 "Suppose a man carries consecrated meat in the corner of his garment, and that corner touches bread, or stew, or wine, or oil, or any food at all; will it become holy?" The priests replied, "No."
13 Haggai went on, "If a person made unclean by a corpse touches any of these things, will it become unclean?" "It will be unclean," the priests replied.
14 Then Haggai said, "That is how this people is, and how this nation is in my sight, declares the LORD, and so is everything they do with their hands; whatever they offer there is unclean.
15 Now then, think carefully from this day forward: before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple,
16 back then, someone would come to a grain heap of twenty measures and find ten; someone would go to the vat to draw off fifty measures from the press and find twenty.
17 I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the work of your hands, yet you did not come back to me, declares the LORD.
18 Think carefully from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid; think it over:
19 Is there still seed in the storehouse? The vine and the fig, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not yet borne fruit. But from this day on I will give blessing."
20 On the twenty-fourth day of the month the word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time:
21 Tell Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: "I am about to make the heavens and the earth tremble.
22 I will topple royal thrones and break the might of the nations' kingdoms; I will upend chariots and those who ride them; horses and riders will fall, each by the sword of his fellow.
23 On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant, declares the LORD, and I will make you like a signet ring, because you are the one I have chosen, declares the LORD of hosts."