Jonathan Haggai

The Call to Rebuild the Sanctuary

1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, a prophetic message from the Lord came by Haggai, the prophet, to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of the house of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “This is what the Lord of hosts says: These people have said, ‘The time hasn’t yet come for the Lord’s sanctuary to be built.’”

3 Then a prophetic message from the Lord came by Haggai, the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it fitting for you yourselves to live in houses paneled with cedar, while this sanctuary lies in ruins?”

5 And now this is what the Lord of hosts says: “Pay attention to your ways. 6 You sow much, and bring in little. You eat, but you are not satisfied. You drink, but you do not have enough to drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm, and he who earns wages earns wages only to end up in poverty.”

7 This is what the Lord of hosts says: “Pay attention to your ways. 8 Go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house. I will be pleased to let my Shekinah dwell in it in glory,” says the Lord.

9 “You look for much, but it amounts to little. When you bring it home, I send a curse on it. Why?” says the Lord of hosts, “Because of my sanctuary that lies in ruins, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore because of your sins the heavens have stopped sending rain, and the earth has stopped producing fruit. 11 I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the wine, on the oil, on everything the earth produces, on people, on livestock, and on all the labor of the hands.”

The People Begin Work

12 Then Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all the remnant of the people, listened to the Memra of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai, the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him to them. And the people feared the Lord.

13 Then Haggai, the Lord’s prophet, spoke a message from the Lord to the people, saying, “My Memra supports you,” says the Lord.

14 The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of the house of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked in the sanctuary of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

The Sanctuary’s Future Glory

1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, a prophetic message from the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, governor of the house of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Doesn’t it seem to you as though it no longer exists? 4 But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work, for my Memra supports you,’ says the Lord of hosts. 5 ‘This is the promise I made with you when you came out of Egypt, and my prophets are teaching among you. do not be afraid.’

6 “For this is what the Lord of hosts says: ‘Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land. 7 And I will shake all nations. They will bring the treasures of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. 9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘and I will give peace in this place,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

Purity and the Promise of Blessing

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, a prophetic message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “The Lord of hosts says: Ask the priests now for a ruling, saying, 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his clothing touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become forbidden?’” The priests answered, “No.”

13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is defiled by a dead body touches any of these, will it be defiled?” The priests answered, “It will be defiled.”

14 Then Haggai answered, “‘So is this people, and so is this congregation before me,’ says the Lord. ‘and so is all the works of their hands. What they offer there is defiled.’”

15 “Now pay attention from this day onward, before one course of stones is laid on another in the Lord’s temple. 16 When you used to come to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When you came to the winepress with fifty jars of wine, there were only twenty. 17 I struck you with blight, mildew, and hail in all the work of your hands. Yet you do not return to my service,” says the Lord.

18 “Pay attention from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the Lord’s temple began to be rebuilt. Pay attention. 19 Is the grain still on the threshing floor? And the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yet borne fruit. From this day I will give my blessing.”

The Promise to Zerubbabel

20 A prophetic message from the Lord came the second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of the house of Judah, saying, ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth. 22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow the chariots, and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will be killed, each by his brother’s sword. 23 At that time,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will bring you near, Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and I will make you like the engraving of a signet ring on the hand, for I am pleased with you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”