10 aIn the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, bin the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord bby Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; cAsk now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 If one bear dholy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, eNo. 13 Then said Haggai, If one that is funclean by a dead body gtouch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, gIt shall be unclean. 14 Then answered Haggai, and said,

heSo is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord;

And so is pevery work of their hands;

And that which they offer there is unclean.

15  And now, I pray you, ijconsider from this day and upward,

From before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord:

16  kSince those days were, lwhen one came to an heap of twenty measures, there were but ten:

When one came to mthe pressfat for to draw out fifty vessels out of the press, there were but twenty.

17  I lnsmote you with blasting and with mildew and owith hail

In pall the labours of your hands;

Yet ye qturned not to me, saith the Lord.

18  ijConsider now from this day and upward,

rFrom the four and twentieth day of the ninth month,

Even from sthe day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, iconsider it.

19  rtIs the seed yet in uthe barn?

Yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth:

rFrom this day vwill I bless you.