\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Haggai}

{\MTB This book contains the account of the Israeli people obeying God’s message to them through Haggai and rebuilding the temple. We call this book

\par }{\MT Haggai



\par }\ChapOne{1}{\SH A call to rebuild the temple
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}{\ADD{I am}}, Haggai, a prophet. I received a message from Yahweh on August 29th, during the second year that Darius was the king
{\ADD{of Persia}}. I told this message to Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Jehozadak’s son Jeshua, the Supreme Priest.


\par }{\PP \VS{2}Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, told
{\ADD{me}} that the people were saying that it was not yet time for them to rebuild Yahweh’s temple.


\par }{\PP \VS{3}Then Yahweh gave me this message
{\ADD{to tell to the people of Jerusalem}}:

\VS{4}“It is not right [RHQ] for you to be living in luxurious houses while my temple is only ruins!

\VS{5}{\ADD{I,}} Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, say this: Think about what is happening to you.

\VS{6}You have planted a lot
{\ADD{of seeds}}, but you are not getting many
{\ADD{crops}} to harvest. You eat
{\ADD{food}}, but you never get enough. You drink
{\ADD{wine}}, but you are still thirsty. You wear clothes, but you do not stay warm. You earn money,
{\ADD{but things are very expensive}}, with the result that
{\ADD{it is as though}} [MET]
{\ADD{your money disappears because}} you are putting it in purses/pockets that have
{\ADD{big}} holes in them.”


\par }{\PP \VS{7}{\ADD{So}} this is what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of heaven, says: “Think about what is happening to you.

\VS{8}{\ADD{Then}} go up into the hills,
{\ADD{cut down trees,}} and bring timber
{\ADD{down here}}, and rebuild my temple. When you do that, I will be pleased, and I will be honored.

\VS{9}You expected
{\ADD{to harvest}} plenty
{\ADD{of crops}}, but there were few
{\ADD{crops to harvest}}. And when you brought the crops home, I caused them to spoil [IDM] quickly. The reason
{\ADD{that happened is that}} my temple is a ruins, while each of you are busy building your own
{\ADD{beautiful}} houses.

\VS{10}It is because of what you
{\ADD{are doing}} that rain does not fall from the sky, and
{\ADD{as a result}} there are no crops.

\VS{11}I have caused a ◄drought/severe lack of rain► on the hills and on your fields. The result has been that your grain
{\ADD{has withered}}, and your grapevines [MTY] and olive trees [MTY] and all your
{\ADD{other}} crops have dried up.
{\ADD{Because of that,}} you and your cattle
{\ADD{do not have enough food}}, and the hard work that you have done will be for nothing.”


\par }{\PP \VS{12}Then Zerubbabel and Jeshua and all the others of God’s people who were still alive obeyed the message that Yahweh our God had said, and they heeded the message that I had given them, because
{\ADD{they knew that}} Yahweh our God had sent/appointed me. And the people revered Yahweh.


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Then
{\ADD{I}}, Haggai, who was Yahweh’s messenger, gave this message from Yahweh to the people: “I, Yahweh, declare that I am with you.”

\VS{14}{\ADD{So}} Yahweh motivated Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the other people to want to rebuild the temple of our God, the Commander of the armies of angels. They gathered together and started to work to rebuild it.

\VS{15}{\ADD{They started work}} on September 21st, during the second year that Darius was the king.




\par }\Chap{2}{\SH The new temple
\par }
{\PP \VerseOne{1}On October 17
{\ADD{of that year}}, Yahweh gave
{\ADD{me}}, the prophet Haggai,
{\ADD{another}} message.

\VS{2}{\ADD{The message was that I should}} say this to Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and to the other people who were still alive
{\ADD{in Jerusalem}}:

\VS{3}“Do any of you remember how glorious our former temple was?
{\ADD{If you do,}} what does it look like to you now? It must seem like nothing at all.

\VS{4}But now the Commander of the armies of angels says to
{\ADD{all of you}}, to Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of you people who live in this nation, ‘{\ADD{Do not be discouraged;}} be strong [DOU], and work
{\ADD{to build this new temple}}, because I will ◄be with/help► you.

\VS{5}My Spirit remains among you, like I promised your
{\ADD{ancestors}} when they left Egypt.
{\ADD{So}} do not be afraid!’ ”


\par }{\PP \VS{6}This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: “Soon I will shake the sky and the earth, the oceans and the land again.

\VS{7}I will shake
{\ADD{again the people of
}} all the nations, and as a result they will bring their treasures
{\ADD{to this temple}}. I will fill this temple with
{\ADD{my}} glory.

\VS{8}The silver and the gold
{\ADD{that they own}} are
{\ADD{really}} mine,
{\ADD{so they will bring them to me}}.

\VS{9}{\ADD{Then}} this temple will be more glorious than the former/previous
{\ADD{temple was}}. And I will cause things to go well for you all.
{\ADD{That will surely happen because I,}} the Commander of the armies of angels, have said it.”


\par }{\SH What they do now will be acceptable to Yahweh
\par }
{\PP \VS{10}On December 18 of that year, Yahweh gave
{\ADD{another}} message to
{\ADD{me}}, the prophet Haggai.

\VS{11}This is what the Commander of the armies of angels said to me: “Ask the priests
{\ADD{this question}} about what is written in the laws
{\ADD{of Moses about sacrifices}}:

\VS{12}‘If one
{\ADD{of you priests takes from the altar some}} meat that was sacrificed and is carrying it in his robes, if his robe touches
{\ADD{some}} bread or stew or wine or
{\ADD{olive}} oil or some other food, does that food also become ◄holy/acceptable for a sacrifice►?’ ”

\par }{\PP {\ADD{When he said that to}} the priests, they replied, “No.”


\par }{\PP \VS{13}Then Haggai asked them, “If someone becomes unacceptable to God by touching a corpse, and
{\ADD{then he}} touches any of those foods, will the food
{\ADD{also}} become unacceptable to God?”

\par }{\PP The priests replied, “Yes.”


\par }{\PP \VS{14}Then Haggai replied, “Yahweh says
{\ADD{this}}: ‘It is the same with you people and with this nation. Everything that you do and
{\ADD{all the sacrifices}} that you all offer are unacceptable to me
{\ADD{because of the sins that you have committed}}.


\par }{\PP \VS{15}Think about what has been happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of my temple.

\VS{16}When you expected
{\ADD{to harvest}} 20 bushels
{\ADD{of grain, you harvested}} only ten bushels. When someone went to a
{\ADD{big}} wine vat to get 50 gallons
{\ADD{of wine}}, there were only 20
{\ADD{gallons in the vat}}.

\VS{17}I sent ◄blight/hot winds► and mildew and hail to destroy all your crops. But still you did not return to me.


\par }{\PP \VS{18}Starting from this day, December 18, the day when
{\ADD{you}} have laid the foundation of my
{\ADD{new}} temple, continue to think carefully
{\ADD{about your situation}}.

\VS{19}Is there now [RHQ]
{\ADD{any grain}} seed left in your barns?
{\ADD{No, because you have eaten the small amount that you harvested}}. And there is no fruit on your grapevines and fig trees and pomegranate
{\ADD{trees}} and olive trees.

\par }{\PP But, from now on, I will bless you!’ ”


\par }{\SH Yahweh’s promise to Zerubbabel
\par }
{\PP \VS{20}On that same day, Yahweh gave another message to me.

\VS{21}{\ADD{He said,}} “Tell Zerubbabel the governor of Judah that I am going to shake the sky and the earth.

\VS{22}I will end the power of the kings of
{\ADD{many}} nations [DOU]. I will cause their chariots and their drivers, their horses and
{\ADD{the soldiers}} who are riding on them to be destroyed.
{\ADD{What will happen is that I will cause the soldiers}} to kill each other with their swords.


\par }{\PP \VS{23}Zerubbabel, you serve
{\ADD{me well}}. So
{\ADD{I}}, the Commander of the armies of angels, declare that
{\ADD{like kings wear}} signet rings
{\ADD{to show that they have authority to rule people}}, I will appoint you and cause you
{\ADD{to have authority to rule}}. I will do that because I have chosen you.
{\ADD{That will surely happen because I,}} the Commander of the armies of angels, have said it.”


\par }