Haggai 2:10–23

Blessings for a Defiled People

¹⁰On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,^r in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: ¹¹“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests^s what the law says: ¹²If someone carries consecrated meat^t in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?^u’ ”

The priests answered, “No.”

¹³Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”

“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.^v”

¹⁴Then Haggai said, “ ‘So it is with this people^w and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer^x there is defiled.

¹⁵“ ‘Now give careful thought^y to this from this day on^b—consider how things were before one stone was laid^z on another in the Lord’s temple.^{a 16}When anyone came to a heap^b of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat^c to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.^{d 17}I struck all the work of your hands^e with blight,^f mildew and hail,^g yet you did not return^h to me,’ declares the Lord.^{i 18}‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought^j to the day when the foundation^k of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: ¹⁹Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate^l and the olive tree have not borne fruit.^m

“ ‘From this day on I will blessⁿ you.’ ”

Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring

²⁰The word of the Lord came to Haggai^o a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:^{p 21}“Tell Zerubbabel^q governor of Judah that I am going to shake^r the heavens and the earth. ²²I will overturn^s royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.^t I will overthrow chariots^u and their drivers; horses and their riders^v will fall, each by the sword of his brother.^w

²³“ ‘On that day,^x’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant^y Zerubbabel^z son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring,^a for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”