The Promised Blessing

2:10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year,16 the Lord spoke again to the prophet Haggai:17 2:11 “The Lord who rules over all says, ‘Ask the priests about the law.18 2:12 If someone carries holy meat in a fold of his garment and that fold touches bread, a boiled dish, wine, olive oil, or any other food, will that item become holy?’ ”19 The priests answered, “It will not.” 2:13 Then Haggai asked, “If a person who is ritually unclean because of touching a dead body20 comes in contact with one of these items, will it become unclean?” The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”

2:14 Then Haggai responded, “ ‘The people of this nation are unclean in my sight,’21 says the Lord. ‘And so is all their effort; everything they offer is also unclean.22 2:15 Now therefore reflect carefully on the recent past,23 before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple.24 2:16 From that time25 when one came expecting a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty measures from it, there were only twenty. 2:17 I struck all the products of your labor26 with blight, disease, and hail, and yet you brought nothing to me,’27 says the Lord. 2:18 ‘Think carefully about the past:28 from today, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,29 to the day work on the temple of the Lord was resumed,30 think about it.31 2:19 The seed is still in the storehouse, isn’t it? And the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not produced. Nevertheless, from today on I will bless you.’ ”