Haggai 2:10–23

Blessings for a Defiled People

^10tOn the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, ^uin the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, ¹¹“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ^vAsk the priests about the law: ¹²‘If someone carries ^wholy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’ ” The priests answered and said, ^x“No.” ¹³Then Haggai said, ^y“If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body ^ztouches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” ¹⁴Then Haggai answered and said, ^a“So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. ¹⁵Now then, ^bconsider from this day onward.¹ Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, ¹⁶how did you fare? ^cWhen² one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. ^17dI struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, ^eyet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. ^18bConsider from this day onward, ^ffrom the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since ^gthe day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, ^bconsider: ^19hIs the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on ⁱI will bless you.”

Zerubbabel Chosen as a Signet

²⁰The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai ^fon the twenty-fourth day of the month, ²¹“Speak to ^jZerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, ^kI am about to shake the heavens and the earth, ²²and ^lto overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and ^moverthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, ⁿevery one by the sword of his brother. ²³On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O ^jZerubbabel ^omy servant, the son of ^pShealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you ^qlike a³ signet ring, ^ofor I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”