1on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 2“Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,2:2 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verse 4 the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, 3‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing? 4But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 5‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’
6“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. 9‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
Blessings for a Defiled People
10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Haggai: 11“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: 12If someone carries consecrated meat in the fold of their garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, olive oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’ ”
The priests answered, “No.”
13Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”
“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.”
14Then Haggai said, “ ‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
15“ ‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on2:15 Or to the days past—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. 16When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. 17I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares the Lord. 18‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: 19Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.
“ ‘From this day on I will bless you.’ ”
Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring
20The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: 21“Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. 22I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
23“ ‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”
對新殿的應許
1七月二十一日，耶和華藉先知哈該說： 2「你去告訴撒拉鐵的兒子猶大省長所羅巴伯、約撒答的兒子大祭司約書亞和所有的餘民， 3『你們倖存的人當中有誰見過這殿昔日的榮耀呢？現在你們看這殿如何？看上去豈不是無足輕重嗎？ 4所羅巴伯啊，你要剛強，這是耶和華說的。約撒答的兒子大祭司約書亞啊，你要剛強；這地方的所有百姓啊，你們要剛強。這是耶和華說的。你們要動工，因為我與你們同在。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。 5這是你們出埃及時我與你們立的約。不要懼怕，我的靈仍住在你們當中。
6「『萬軍之耶和華說，不久，我要再次震動天地、海洋和旱地。 7萬軍之耶和華說，我要震動萬國，萬國的珍寶都要送到這殿，我要使這殿充滿榮耀。 8萬軍之耶和華說，金子是我的，銀子也是我的。 9萬軍之耶和華說，這殿後來的榮耀必大過從前的榮耀。萬軍之耶和華說，我要在這地方賜下平安。』」
指出百姓的罪
10大流士王執政第二年九月二十四日，耶和華對先知哈該說： 11「萬軍之耶和華說，『你去問祭司律法怎麼說， 12如果有人用衣服兜著祭肉，而衣服碰到餅、湯、酒、油或其他食物，這些被衣服碰到的食物會成為聖潔之物嗎？』」祭司們答道：「不會。」 13哈該又說：「如果因碰過屍體而變得不潔淨的人接觸這些食物，這些食物會變得不潔淨嗎？」祭司答道：「會變得不潔淨。」 14於是哈該說：「耶和華說，『這百姓和這國家在我面前也是如此。他們手中的各樣工作和他們在那裡所獻的都不潔淨。』
耶和華應許賜福
15「『你們現在要回想重建耶和華殿之前的光景。 16那時，有人盼望得到二十斗穀物，卻只有十斗。有人盼望得到五十桶酒，榨酒池中卻只有二十桶。 17我曾用蟲災、黴災和冰雹毀滅你們的作物，你們仍沒有歸向我。這是耶和華說的。 18從今以後，也就是從九月二十四日起，你們要思想耶和華的殿奠基的日子，要認真思想。 19雖然糧倉裡沒有種子，葡萄樹、無花果樹、石榴樹和橄欖樹沒結果子，但從今以後，我要賜福給你們。』」
揀選所羅巴伯
20同一天，耶和華第二次對哈該說： 21「你告訴猶大省長所羅巴伯，『我必震動天地， 22推翻君王的寶座，消滅列國的勢力，掀翻他們的戰車和駕車的人，使戰馬跌倒、騎士自相殘殺。 23萬軍之耶和華說，我的僕人——撒拉鐵的兒子所羅巴伯啊，到那日，我必使你作我蓋印的戒指，因為我揀選了你。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。』」
