对新殿的应许
1七月二十一日，耶和华对先知哈该说： 2“你去告诉撒拉铁的儿子犹大省长所罗巴伯、约撒答的儿子大祭司约书亚和所有的余民， 3‘你们当中有谁见过这殿昔日的荣耀呢？现在你们看这殿如何？看上去岂不是一文不值吗？ 4所罗巴伯啊，你要刚强，这是耶和华说的。约撒答的儿子大祭司约书亚啊，你要刚强；这地方的所有百姓啊，你们要刚强。这是耶和华说的。你们要动工，因为我与你们同在。这是万军之耶和华说的。 5这是你们离开埃及时我对你们的应许。不要惧怕，我的灵仍住在你们当中。
6“‘万军之耶和华说，不久，我要再次震动天、地、海洋和旱地。 7万军之耶和华说，我要震动万国，万国的珍宝都要送到这殿，我要使这殿充满荣耀。 8万军之耶和华说，金子是我的，银子也是我的。 9万军之耶和华说，我要使这殿比从前更加荣耀。万军之耶和华说，我要在这地方赐下平安。’”
指出百姓的罪
10大流士王执政第二年九月二十四日，耶和华对先知哈该说： 11“万军之耶和华说，‘你去问祭司， 12如果有人用衣服兜着祭肉，而衣服碰到饼、汤、酒、油或其他食物，这些被衣服碰到的食物会成为圣洁之物吗？’”祭司们答道：“不会。” 13哈该又说：“如果因碰过尸体而变得不洁净的人接触这些食物，这些食物会变得不洁净吗？”祭司答道：“会变得不洁净。” 14于是哈该说：“耶和华说，‘这百姓和这国家在我面前也是如此。他们手中的各样工作和他们在那里所献的都不洁净。’
耶和华应许赐福
15“‘从今以后，你们要回想重建耶和华殿之前的光景。 16那时，有人盼望得到二十斗谷物，却只有十斗。有人盼望得到五十桶酒，榨酒池中却只有二十桶。 17我曾用虫灾、霉灾和冰雹毁灭你们的作物，你们仍没有归向我。这是耶和华说的。 18九月二十四日是我的殿奠定根基的日子。你们要思想这个日子，要认真思想。 19虽然粮仓里没有种子，葡萄树、无花果树、石榴树和橄榄树没结果子，但从今以后，我要赐福给你们。’”
拣选所罗巴伯
20同一天，耶和华第二次对哈该说： 21“你告诉犹大省长所罗巴伯，‘我必震动天地， 22推翻君王的宝座，消灭列国的势力，掀翻他们的战车和驾车的人，使战马跌倒、骑士自相残杀。 23万军之耶和华说，我的仆人撒拉铁的儿子所罗巴伯啊，到那日，我必使你像我盖印的戒指，因为我拣选了你。这是万军之耶和华说的。’”
1a second message came from the Lord. It came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 21st day of the seventh month. The Lord said, 2“Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah and the son of Shealtiel. Also speak to Joshua the high priest, the son of Jozadak. And speak to all my people who are still left alive. Ask them, 3‘Did any of you who are here see how beautiful this temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It doesn’t look so good, does it? 4But be strong, Zerubbabel,’ announces the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua. Be strong, all of you people in the land,’ announces the Lord. ‘Start rebuilding. I am with you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all. 5‘That is what I promised you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit continues to be with you. So do not be afraid.’ ”
6The Lord says, “In a little while I will shake the heavens and the earth once more. I will also shake the ocean and the dry land. 7I will shake all the nations. Then what is desired by all nations will come to my temple. And I will fill the temple with glory,” says the Lord who rules over all. 8“The silver belongs to me. So does the gold,” announces the Lord who rules over all. 9“The new temple will be more beautiful than the first one was,” says the Lord. “And in this place I will bring peace,” announces the Lord who rules over all.
The Lord Will Make His People Pure and “Clean”
10A third message from the Lord came to Haggai the prophet. The message came on the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was king. 11The Lord who rules over all speaks. He says, “Ask the priests what the law says. 12Suppose someone carries holy meat in the clothes they are wearing. And the clothes touch some bread or stew. Or they touch some wine, olive oil or other food. Then do these things also become holy?”
The priests answered, “No.”
13So Haggai said, “Suppose someone is made ‘unclean’ by touching a dead body. And then they touch one of these things. Does it become ‘unclean’ too?”
“Yes,” the priests replied. “It does.”
14Then here is what Haggai said. “The Lord announces, ‘That is how I look at these people and this nation. Anything they do and anything they sacrifice on the altar is “unclean.”
15“ ‘Think carefully about this from now on. Think about how things were before the Lord’s temple was built. This was before one stone was laid on top of another. 16People went to get 20 measures of grain. But they could find only 10. They went to where the wine was stored to get 50 measures. But only 20 were there. 17You worked very hard to produce all those things. But I struck them with rot, mold and hail. And you still did not return to me,’ announces the Lord. 18It is the 24th day of the ninth month. From this day on, here is what you should think carefully about. Think about the day when the foundation of my temple was laid. 19Are any seeds still left in your barns? Until now, your vines and fig trees have not produced any fruit. Your pomegranate and olive trees have not produced any either.
“ ‘But from this day on I will bless you.’ ”
The Lord Compares Zerubbabel to His Royal Ring
20A final message from the Lord came to Haggai. This message also came on the 24th day of the ninth month. The Lord said, 21“Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah. Tell him I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22I will throw down royal thrones. I will smash the power of other kingdoms. I will destroy chariots and their drivers. Horses and their riders will fall. They will be killed by the swords of their relatives.
23“ ‘Zerubbabel, at that time I will pick you,’ announces the Lord. ‘You are my servant,’ announces the Lord. ‘You will be like a ring that has my royal mark on it. I have chosen you,’ announces the Lord who rules over all.”
