1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month of that same year, Jehovah spoke again through the prophet Haggai:

2 »Speak to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor 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? Is it nothing in your eyes?’

4 »Be strong Zerubbabel,« said Jehovah. »Be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, said Jehovah. Work! I am with you,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

5 »I gave my word when you came out of Egypt that my Spirit would be with you. Do not fear!«

6 Jehovah of Hosts proclaims: »Soon I will shake heaven and earth, land and sea!

7 »I will shake all the nations and make them afraid. The treasures of all the nations will be brought here. I will fill this house with glory.

8 »The silver and gold of the world is mine,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

9 »The glory of this house will be greater than it was before. I will give my people peace.« Jehovah of Hosts has spoken.

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was king, Jehovah spoke again to the prophet Haggai.

11 He said: »Ask the priests for a ruling on this question of law.

12 »A man takes a piece of consecrated meat from a sacrifice and carries it in a fold of his robe. He then lets his robe touch any bread, cooked food, wine, olive oil, or any kind of food at all. Will it make that food consecrated also?« When the question was asked, the priests answered, »No.«

13 Then Haggai asked: »This person is defiled because he has touched a dead body. If he then touches any of these foods, will that make them defiled too?« The priests answered, »Yes.«

14 Then Haggai said: »Jehovah declared that the same thing applies to the people of this nation and to everything they produce; and so everything they offer on the altar is defiled.«

15 »Can you see what has happened to you,« Jehovah asked, »before you started to rebuild the Temple?

16 »You would go to a pile of grain looking for twenty bushels, but there would be only ten. You would go to draw fifty gallons of wine from a vat and find only twenty.

17 »I struck you with scorching winds, mildew and hail to ruin everything you tried to grow,« declared Jehovah, »but you still did not repent.

18 »Today is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day that the foundation of the Temple of Jehovah was completed. See what is going to happen from now on.

19 »There is no grain left. The grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced. However from now on I will bless you.«

20 Jehovah gave Haggai a second message on that same day, the twenty-fourth of the month.

21 »Say to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah: I will shake heaven and earth!

22 »I will overthrow kingdoms and end their power. I will overturn chariots and their drivers; the horses will die, and their riders will kill one another.«

23 »On that day,« declared Jehovah of Hosts, »I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,« declared Jehovah. »I will make you important like a signet signature ring, because I have chosen you,« proclaimed Jehovah of Hosts.