The Coming Glory of God’s House 1 UDB Almost one month later, on the twenty-first day of the next month, Yahweh gave the prophet Haggai another message. BSB BSB: On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying:
2 UDB The message was that he should say this to Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, Jehozadek's son Jeshua the high priest, and to the other people who were still alive in Jerusalem: BSB BSB: “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 UDB "Do any of you remember how glorious our former temple was? If you do, what does it look like to you now? It must seem like nothing at all. BSB BSB: ‘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 UDB But now Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, says to all of you, to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of you people who live in this nation, 'Do not be discouraged; instead be strong! BSB BSB: 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 UDB My Spirit remains among you, like I promised your ancestors when they left Egypt. So do not be afraid!' BSB BSB: 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 UDB This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, says: 'Soon I will shake again the sky and the earth, the oceans and the ground. BSB BSB: For 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.
8 UDB The silver and the gold that they own are really mine, so they will bring them to me. BSB BSB: The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine, declares the LORD of Hosts.
9 UDB Then this temple will be more glorious than the former temple was. And I will cause things to go well for you all. That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, have said it.'" BSB BSB: 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 UDB Then on the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of that same year, Yahweh gave still another message to the prophet Haggai: BSB BSB: 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 UDB "This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies says: 'Ask the priests this question about what is written in the laws of Moses about sacrifices: BSB BSB: “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling.
12 UDB If one of you priests takes from the altar some meat that was sacrificed and is carrying it in his robes, if his robe touches some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or some other food, does that food also become holy?'" When he said that to the priests, they replied, "No." BSB BSB: 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 UDB Then Haggai asked them, "If someone becomes unacceptable to God by touching a corpse, and then he touches any of those foods, will the food also become unacceptable to God?" The priests replied, "Yes." BSB BSB: 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 UDB Then Haggai replied, "Yahweh says this: 'It is the same with you people and with this nation. Everything that you do and all the sacrifices that you all offer are unacceptable to me because of the sins that you have committed. BSB BSB: 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 UDB Think about what has been happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of my temple. BSB BSB: Now consider carefully from this day forward: Before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the LORD,
16 UDB When you expected to harvest twenty measures of grain, you harvested only ten. When someone went to a big wine vat to get fifty measures of wine, there were only twenty in the vat. BSB BSB: from 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.
17 UDB I sent blight and mildew to destroy all your crops. But still you did not return to me.' This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, says to you. BSB BSB: 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 UDB Starting from this day, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of this year, the day when you have laid the foundation of my new temple, continue to think carefully about your situation. BSB BSB: 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 UDB Is there now any grain seed left in your barns? No, because you have eaten the small amount that you harvested. And there is no fruit on your grapevines and fig trees and pomegranate trees and olive trees. But, from now on, I will bless you!'" BSB BSB: 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 UDB On that same day, Yahweh gave another message to Haggai. BSB BSB: For the second time that day, the twenty-fourth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to Haggai, saying,
21 UDB He said, "Tell Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, that I am going to shake the sky and the earth. BSB BSB: “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth:
22 UDB I will end the power of the kings of many nations. I will cause their chariots and their drivers, their horses and the soldiers who are riding on them to be destroyed. The soldiers will kill each other with their own swords. BSB BSB: 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 UDB Zerubbabel, you will become my servant on that day. And I, Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, declare that like kings wear signet rings to show that they have authority to rule people, I will appoint you and cause you to have authority to rule. I will do that because I have chosen you. That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, have said it." BSB BSB: 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.”