Haggai
חגי
THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition
https://jps.org/books/the-jps-tanakh-gender-sensitive-edition/
Haggai
Chapter 1
In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, this word of GOD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest:
Thus said GOD of Hosts: These people say, “The time has not yet come for rebuilding the House of GOD.”
And the word of GOD through the prophet Haggai continued:
Is it a time for you to dwell in your paneled houses, while this House is lying in ruins?
Now thus said GOD of Hosts: Consider how you have been faring!
You have sowed much and brought in little; you eat without being satisfied; you drink without getting your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one gets warm; and he who earns anything earns it for a leaky purse.
Thus said GOD of Hosts: Consider how you have fared:
Go up to the hills and get timber, and rebuild the House; then I will look on it with favor and I will be glorified —said GOD.
You have been expecting much and getting little; and when you brought it home, I would blow on it! Because of what?—says GOD of Hosts. Because of My House that lies in ruins, while you all hurry to your own houses!
That is why the skies above you have withheld [their] moisture and the earth has withheld its yield,
and I have summoned fierce heat upon the land—upon the hills, upon the new grain and wine and oil, upon all that the ground produces, upon human and animal, and upon all the fruits of labor.
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak and all the rest of the people gave heed to the summons of the ETERNAL their God and to the words of the prophet Haggai, when the ETERNAL their God sent him; the people feared GOD.
And Haggai, GOD’s messenger, fulfilling GOD’s mission, spoke to the people, “I am with you—declares GOD.”
Then GOD roused the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and the spirit of the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and the spirit of all the rest of the people: They came and set to work on the House of GOD of Hosts, their God,
on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month. In the second year of King Darius,
Chapter 2
on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of GOD came through the prophet Haggai:
Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the rest of the people:
Who is there left among you who saw this House in its former splendor? How does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing to you.
But be strong, O Zerubbabel—says GOD —be strong, O high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak; be strong, all you people of the land—says GOD —and act! For I am with you—says GOD of Hosts.
So I promised you when you came out of Egypt, and My spirit is still in your midst. Fear not!
For thus said GOD of Hosts: In just a little while longer I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land;
I will shake all the nations. And the precious things of all the nations shall come [here], and I will fill this House with glory, said GOD of Hosts.
Silver is Mine and gold is Mine—says GOD of Hosts.
The glory of this latter House shall be greater than that of the former one, said GOD of Hosts; and in this place I will grant prosperity—declares GOD of Hosts.
On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth [month], in the second year of Darius, the word of GOD came to the prophet Haggai:
Thus said GOD of Hosts: Seek a ruling from the priests, as follows:
If someone is carrying sacrificial flesh in a fold of their garment, and with that fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, will the latter become holy? In reply, the priests said, “No.”
Haggai went on, “If someone defiled by a corpse touches any of these, will it be defiled?” And the priests responded, “Yes.”
Thereupon Haggai said: That is how this people and that is how this nation looks to Me—declares GOD —and so, too, the work of their hands: Whatever they offer there is defiled.
And now take thought, from this day backward: As long as no stone had been laid on another in the House of GOD,
if one came to a heap of twenty measures, it would yield only ten; and if one came to a wine vat to skim off fifty measures, the press would yield only twenty.
I struck you—all the works of your hands—with blight and mildew and hail, but you did not return to Me—declares GOD.
Take note, from this day forward—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundation was laid for GOD’s Temple—take note
while the seed is still in the granary, and the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not yet borne fruit. For from this day on I will send blessings.
And the word of GOD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:
Speak to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
And I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the might of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their drivers. Horses and their riders shall fall, each by the sword of his fellow.
On that day—declares GOD of Hosts—I will take you, O My servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel—declares GOD —and make you as a signet; for I have chosen you—declares GOD of Hosts.