Chapter 2

In the seventh month, in the twenty and first of the month, hath a word of Yehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

`Speak, I pray thee, unto Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and unto Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, and unto the remnant of the people, saying:

Who among you hath been left that saw this house in its former honour? And what are ye seeing it now? Is it not, compared with it, as nothing in your eyes?

And now, be strong, O Zerubbabel, An affirmation of Yehovah, And be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest, And be strong, all ye people of the land, An affirmation of Yehovah, And do ye -- (for I am with you, An affirmation of Yehovah of Hosts) --

The thing that I covenanted with you, In your coming forth from Egypt, And My Spirit is remaining in your midst, fear not.

For thus said Yehovah of Hosts: Yet once more -- it is a little, And I am shaking the heavens and the earth, And the sea, and the dry land,

And I have shaken all the nations, And they have come to the desire of all the nations, And I have filled this house with honour, Said Yehovah of Hosts.

Mine is the silver, and Mine the gold, An affirmation of Yehovah of Hosts.

Greater is the honour of this latter house, Than of the former, said Yehovah of Hosts, And in this place do I give peace, An affirmation of Yehovah of Hosts.`

On the twenty and fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Yehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

Thus said Yehovah of Hosts: `Ask, I pray thee, the priests of the law, saying:

Lo, one doth carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and he hath come with his skirt against the bread, or against the pottage, or against the wine, or against the oil, or against any food -- is it holy?` And the priests answer and say, `No.`

And Haggai saith, `If the unclean of body doth come against any of these, is it unclean?` And the priests answer and say, `It is unclean.`

And Haggai answereth and saith, `So is this people, and so is this nation before Me -- an affirmation of Yehovah -- and so is every work of their hands, and that which they bring near there -- it is unclean.

And now, lay it, I pray you, to your heart, From this day, and onwards, Before the laying of stone to stone in the temple of Yehovah.

From that time one hath come to a heap of twenty, And it hath been ten, He hath come unto the wine-fat to draw out fifty purahs, And it hath been twenty.

I have smitten you with blasting, And with mildew, and with hail -- All the work of your hands, And there is none of you with Me, An affirmation of Yehovah.

Set it, I pray you, to your heart, from this day and onwards, from the twenty and fourth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the temple of Yehovah hath been founded, set it to your heart.

Is the seed yet in the barn? And hitherto the vine and the fig, And the pomegranate, and the olive-tree, Have not borne -- from this day I bless.`

And there is a word of Yehovah a second time unto Haggai, on the twenty and fourth of the month, saying:

`Speak unto Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying: I am shaking the heavens and the earth,

And have overturned the throne of kingdoms, And I have destroyed the strength of kingdoms of the nations, And overturned chariot and its charioteers, And come down have horses and their riders, Each by the sword of his brother.

In that day -- an affirmation of Yehovah of Hosts, I take thee, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant -- an affirmation of Yehovah, And have set thee as a signet, for on thee I have fixed, An affirmation of Yehovah of Hosts!