A Call to Build the House of the Lord

1 In the second year of King Darius,^(A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai^(B) to Zerubbabel^(C) son of Shealtiel, governor^(D) of Judah, and to Joshua^(E) son of Jozadak,^[a](F) the high priest:^(G)

² This is what the Lord Almighty^(H) says: “These people^(I) say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.^(J)’”

³ Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^{(K) 4} “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,^(L) while this house remains a ruin?^(M)”

⁵ Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(N) to your ways. ⁶ You have planted much, but harvested little.^(O) You eat, but never have enough.^(P) You drink, but never have your fill.^(Q) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,^(R) only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

⁷ This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought^(S) to your ways. ⁸ Go up into the mountains and bring down timber^(T) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure^(U) in it and be honored,^(V)” says the Lord. ⁹ “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.^(W) What you brought home, I blew^(X) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,^(Y) while each of you is busy with your own house. ¹⁰ Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld^(Z) their dew^(AA) and the earth its crops.^{(AB) 11} I called for a drought^(AC) on the fields and the mountains,^(AD) on the grain, the new wine,^(AE) the olive oil^(AF) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.^(AG)”

¹² Then Zerubbabel^(AH) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant^(AI) of the people obeyed^(AJ) the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared^(AK) the Lord.

¹³ Then Haggai,^(AL) the Lord’s messenger,^(AM) gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with^(AN) you,” declares the Lord. ¹⁴ So the Lord stirred up^(AO) the spirit of Zerubbabel^(AP) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,^(AQ) the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant^(AR) of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, ¹⁵ on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.^(AS)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,^(AT) 2 ¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month,^(AU) the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:^{(AV) 2} “Speak to Zerubbabel^(AW) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jozadak,^[b](AX) the high priest, and to the remnant^(AY) of the people. Ask them, ³ ‘Who of you is left who saw this house^(AZ) in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?^{(BA) 4} But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong,^(BB) Joshua son of Jozadak,^(BC) the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with^(BD) you,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁵ ‘This is what I covenanted^(BE) with you when you came out of Egypt.^(BF) And my Spirit^(BG) remains among you. Do not fear.’^(BH)

⁶ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while^(BI) I will once more shake the heavens and the earth,^(BJ) the sea and the dry land. ⁷ I will shake all nations, and what is desired^(BK) by all nations will come, and I will fill this house^(BL) with glory,^(BM)’ says the Lord Almighty. ⁸ ‘The silver is mine and the gold^(BN) is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ⁹ ‘The glory^(BO) of this present house^(BP) will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,^(BQ)’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Blessings for a Defiled People

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month,^(BR) 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^(BS) what the law says: ¹² If someone carries consecrated meat^(BT) 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?^(BU)’”

The priests answered, “No.”

¹³ Then 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.^(BV)”

¹⁴ Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people^(BW) and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer^(BX) there is defiled.

¹⁵ “‘Now give careful thought^(BY) to this from this day on^[c]—consider how things were before one stone was laid^(BZ) on another in the Lord’s temple.^{(CA) 16} When anyone came to a heap^(CB) of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat^(CC) to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.^{(CD) 17} I struck all the work of your hands^(CE) with blight,^(CF) mildew and hail,^(CG) yet you did not return^(CH) to me,’ declares the Lord.^{(CI) 18} ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought^(CJ) to the day when the foundation^(CK) of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: ¹⁹ Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate^(CL) and the olive tree have not borne fruit.^(CM)

“‘From this day on I will bless^(CN) you.’”

Zerubbabel the Lord’s Signet Ring

²⁰ The word of the Lord came to Haggai^(CO) a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:^{(CP) 21} “Tell Zerubbabel^(CQ) governor of Judah that I am going to shake^(CR) the heavens and the earth. ²² I will overturn^(CS) royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms.^(CT) I will overthrow chariots^(CU) and their drivers; horses and their riders^(CV) will fall, each by the sword of his brother.^(CW)

²³ “‘On that day,^(CX)’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant^(CY) Zerubbabel^(CZ) son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring,^(DA) for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

Babylon, the Prostitute on the Beast

17 One of the seven angels^(A) who had the seven bowls^(B) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment^(C) of the great prostitute,^(D) who sits by many waters.^{(E) 2} With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”^(F)

³ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit^(G) into a wilderness.^(H) There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet^(I) beast that was covered with blasphemous names^(J) and had seven heads and ten horns.^{(K) 4} The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls.^(L) She held a golden cup^(M) in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries.^{(N) 5} The name written on her forehead was a mystery:^(O)

⁶ I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people,^(R) the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷ Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery^(S) of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns.^{(T) 8} The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss^(U) and go to its destruction.^(V) The inhabitants of the earth^(W) whose names have not been written in the book of life^(X) from the creation of the world will be astonished^(Y) when they see the beast, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹ “This calls for a mind with wisdom.^(Z) The seven heads^(AA) are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹ The beast who once was, and now is not,^(AB) is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹² “The ten horns^(AC) you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour^(AD) will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³ They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast.^{(AE) 14} They will wage war^(AF) against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over^(AG) them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings^(AH)—and with him will be his called, chosen^(AI) and faithful followers.”

¹⁵ Then the angel said to me, “The waters^(AJ) you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.^{(AK) 16} The beast and the ten horns^(AL) you saw will hate the prostitute.^(AM) They will bring her to ruin^(AN) and leave her naked;^(AO) they will eat her flesh^(AP) and burn her with fire.^{(AQ) 17} For God has put it into their hearts^(AR) to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority,^(AS) until God’s words are fulfilled.^{(AT) 18} The woman you saw is the great city^(AU) that rules over the kings of the earth.”