Haggai 2:10–23

¹⁰On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh came to the prophet Haggai, saying, ¹¹“Thus says Yahweh of hosts: ‘Ask now the priests for a ruling:^{o 12}If a man carries^p consecrated meat in the hem of his garment, and his hem touches bread, or stew, or wine, or olive oil, or any kind of food, will it become holy?’ ” The priests answered, “No.” ¹³Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean from contact with a corpse touches any of these, will it become unclean?” The priests answered, “Yes, it will be become unclean.” ¹⁴And Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So it is with this people, and with this nation before me,’ declares^q Yahweh, ‘and so it is with every kind of work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. ¹⁵But now, please consider^r from this day forward, before one stone was placed on another in the temple of Yahweh, ¹⁶from that time when^s one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten, and when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures,^t there were only twenty. ¹⁷I struck you with blight, and with plant mildew, and hail, all the work of your hands. But you did not come back to me,’^u declares^v Yahweh. ¹⁸‘Please consider^w from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid,^x consider:^{y 19}Is there still seed in the store chamber? Do the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree still produce nothing? From this day forward I will bless you.’ ”

The Coming Kingdom

²⁰And the word of Yahweh came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month saying, ²¹“Say to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, ²²and I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the military strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, every one by the sword of another! ²³‘On that day,’ declares^z Yahweh of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, my servant,’ declares^a Yahweh, ‘and I will make you a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares^b Yahweh of hosts.”