1 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came by Ḥaggai the naḇi, saying,
2 “Speak, please, to Zerubbaḇel son of She’alti’ĕl, governor of Yahuḏah, and to Yahoshua son of Yahotsaḏaq, the kohĕn ha’gadol, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
3 ‘Who is there left among you who saw this House in its former esteem? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes as naught when compared to it?
4 ‘And now, be strong, Zerubbaḇel,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄. ‘And be strong, Yahoshua, son of Yahotsaḏaq, the kohĕn ha’gadol. And be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts –
5 the Word that I Covenanted with you when you came out of Mitsrayim, and My Ruaḥ is remaining in your midst, do not fear!’
6 “For thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts, ‘Once more, in a little while, and I am shaking the shamayim and earth, the sea and dry land.
7 ‘And I shall shake all the nations, and they shall come to the delight of all the nations, and I shall fill this House with esteem,’ said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts.
8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts.
9 ‘Let the esteem of this latter House be greater than the former,’ said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts. ‘And in this place I give peace,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts.”
10 On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of Dareyawesh, the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came unto Ḥaggai the naḇi, saying,
11 “Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 hosts, ‘Now, ask the kohenim concerning the Torah, saying,
12 “If one bears qodesh meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, or wine or oil, or any food, is it qodesh?” ’ ” And the kohenim answered and said, “No.”
13 And Ḥaggai said, “If someone defiled by a dead body touches any of these, is it defiled?” And the kohenim answered and said, “It is defiled.”
14 And Ḥaggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, ‘and so is every work of their hands. And whatever they bring near there is defiled.
15 ‘But now, please consider, from this day onward: Before a stone was laid on a stone in the Hĕyḵal of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,
16 since those days – one came to a heap of twenty, and there were ten; one came to the winepress to draw out fifty from the press, and there were twenty –
17 ‘I smote you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labours of your hands, and there was none of you with Me,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
18 ‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the Hĕyḵal of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 was laid, consider it:
19 ‘Is the seed yet in the storehouse? And until now the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit! From this day on I shall baraḵ you!’ ”
20 And a second time the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came to Ḥaggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,
21 “Speak to Zerubbaḇel, the governor of Yahuḏah, saying, ‘I am shaking the shamayim and earth.
22 ‘And I shall overturn the throne of reigns. And I shall destroy the might of the gentile reigns, and overturn the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall come down, each by the sword of his brother.
23 ‘In that day,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts, ‘I shall take you, Zerubbaḇel My servant, son of She’alti’ĕl,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, ‘and shall make you as a signet, for I have chosen you,’ declares 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 of hosts.”