The Builders Encouraged

1 On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came by aHaggai the prophet saying,

2 “Speak now to aZerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, agovernor of Judah, and to aJoshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the bremnant of the people saying,

3 ‘Who is aleft among you who saw this 1temple in its bformer glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not 2seem to you like nothing 3in comparison?

4 ‘But now 1atake courage, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for bI am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts.

5 ‘As for the 1apromise which I 2made you when you came out of Egypt, 3My bSpirit is abiding in your midst; cdo not fear!’

6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘aOnce more 1in a blittle while, I am going to cshake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land.

7 ‘I will shake aall the nations; and 1they will come with the bwealth of all nations, and I will cfill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.

8 ‘The asilver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts.

9 ‘The latter aglory of this house will be greater than the bformer,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I will give cpeace,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”