Haggai

Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

So the Jewish elders built and prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah son of Iddo. They finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia.

¹ In the second year of the reign of Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, stating

² that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.’”

³ Then the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying:

⁴ “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”

¹² Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, as well as all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the words of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. So the people feared the LORD.

¹³ Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, delivered the message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD.

¹ On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through Haggai the prophet, saying:

² “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and also to the remnant of the people. Ask them,

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

¹¹ “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Ask the priests for a ruling.

¹³ So Haggai asked, “If one who is defiled by contact with a corpse touches any of these, does it become defiled?” “Yes, it becomes defiled,” the priests answered.

¹⁴ Then Haggai replied, “So it is with this people and this nation before Me, declares the LORD, and so it is with every work of their hands; whatever they offer there is defiled.

²⁰ For the second time that day, the twenty-fourth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to Haggai, saying,

²¹ “Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am about to shake the heavens and the earth: