1In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of יהוה came by Ḥaggai the prophet, saying,

2“Speak, please, to Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, governor of Yehuḏah, and to Yehoshua son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

3‘Who is there left among you who saw this House in its former esteem? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes as naught when compared to it?

4‘And now, be strong, Zerubbaḇel,’ declares יהוה. ‘And be strong, Yehoshua, son of Yehotsaḏaq, the high priest. And be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares יהוה, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares יהוה of hosts –

5the Word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Mitsrayim, and My Spirita is remaining in your midst, do not fear!’

6“For thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘Once more, in a little while, and I am shaking the heavens and earth, the sea and dry land.

7‘And I shall shake all the nations, and they shall come to the Delight of all the nations, and I shall fill this House with esteem,’ said יהוה of hosts.

8‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ declares יהוה of hosts.

9‘Let the esteem of this latter House be greater than the former,’ said יהוה of hosts. ‘And in this place I give peace,’ declares יהוה of hosts.”

10On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Dareyawesh, the word of יהוה came unto Ḥaggai the prophet, saying,

11“Thus said יהוה of hosts, ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the Torah, saying,

12“If one bears set-apart meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, or wine or oil, or any food, is it set-apart?” ’ ” And the priests answered and said, “No.”

13And Ḥaggai said, “If someone defiled by a dead body touches any of these, is it defiled?” And the priests answered and said, “It is defiled.”

14And Ḥaggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ declares יהוה, ‘and so is every work of their hands. And whatever they bring near there is defiled.

15‘But now, please consider, from this day onward: Before a stone was laid on a stone in the Hĕḵal of יהוה,

16since those days – one came to a heap of twenty ĕphahs, and there were ten; one came to the winepress to draw out fifty baths from the press, and there were twenty –

17‘I smote you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labours of your hands, and ther2 was none of you with Me,’ declares יהוה.

18‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the Hĕḵal of יהוה was laid, consider it:

19‘Is the seed yet in the storehouse? And until now the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit! From this day on I shall bless you!’ ”

20And a second time the word of יהוה came to Ḥaggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,

21“Speak to Zerubbaḇel, the governor of Yehuḏah, saying, ‘I am shaking the heavens and earth.

22‘And I shall overturn the throne of reigns. And I shall destroy the might of the gentile reignsa, and overturn the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall come down, each by the sword of his brother.

23‘In that day,’ declares יהוה of hosts, ‘I shall take you, Zerubbaḇel My servant, son of She’alti’ĕl,’ declares יהוה, ‘and shall make you as a signet, for I have chosen you,’ declares יהוה of hosts.”