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The Prophet Haggai

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- Chapter 2 -

1
On the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of king Darius, they began.(a)
2
And in the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came, by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:(b)
3
Speak to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to Jesus the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remainder of the people, saying:
4
Who is left among you, who saw this house in its first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not, in comparison to that, as nothing in your eyes?
5
And now be strengthened, Zerubbabel, says the Lord. And be strengthened, Jesus the son of Jehozadak, the high priest. And be strengthened, all people of the land, says the Lord of hosts. For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts.
6
And act according to the word that I planted with you when you departed from the land of Egypt. And my Spirit will be in your midst. Do not be afraid.
7
For thus says the Lord of hosts: There is yet one brief time, and I will move heaven and earth, and the sea and the dry land.
8
And I will move all nations. And the Desired of all nations will arrive. And I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts.(c)
9
Mine is the silver, and mine is the gold, says the Lord of hosts.

Blessings for a Defiled People

10
Great shall be the glory of this house, the last more than the first, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place, I will bestow peace, says the Lord of hosts.(d)
11
On the twenty-fourth of the ninth month, in the second year of king Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying:
12
Thus says the Lord of hosts: the priests question the law, saying:
13
If a man will have carried sanctified flesh in the pocket of his garment, and the top of it touches his bread, or appetizer, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it be sanctified? But the priests responded by saying, “No.”
14
And Haggai said, “If the polluted in soul will have touched any of all these things, shall it be contaminated?” And the priests responded and said, “It shall be contaminated.”(e)
15
And Haggai answered and he said: Such is this people, and such is this nation before my face, says the Lord, and such is all the work of their hands. And so all that they have offered there has been contaminated.
16
And now, consider in your hearts, from this day and beyond, before stone may be placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord:
17
when you approached a pile of twenty measures, and they became ten, and you entered to the press, to press out fifty bottles, and they became twenty,
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how I struck you with a burning wind, and a mildew, and a hailstorm, all the works of your hand, yet there was no one among you who returned to me, says the Lord.
19
Set your hearts from this day and into the future, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundations of the temple of the Lord have been uttered, and place it upon your heart.(f)

Zerubbabel the LORD’s Signet Ring

20
Has the seed been germinated yet? And has the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree still not flourished? From this day on, I will bless you.
21
And the word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai, on the twenty-fourth of the month, saying:
22
Speak to Zerubbabel the governor of Judah, saying: I will move both heaven and earth.(g)
23
And I will overturn the throne of kingdoms, and I will crush the strength of the kingdom of the Gentiles. And I will overturn the four-horse chariot, and its rider; and the horses and their riders shall be brought down, a man by the sword of his brother.(h)
24
In that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, my servant, says the Lord, and will set you like a seal, for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts.(i)

Footnotes

(a)2:1 They began:The phrase “they began” is not found in the Latin text. It is implied by the wording of the last part of verse 1:14, and by 2:1. Challoner uses the same translation, ending verse 2:1 with “they began.”
(b)2:2 The phrase ‘vigesima et prima mensis’ is not found in translation in the version of the Challoner Douay-Rheims used as a guide in this translation.(Conte)
(c)2:8 The Desired of all nations is the Christ, the Messiah. The words ET VENIET DESIDERATUS are in all capital letters in some editions of the Vulgate.(Conte)
(d)2:10 Or, ‘of this last house more than the first.’ The Church in Jerusalem and the New Vatican in Rome will not be destroyed until the time of the Antichrist, just before the Return of the true Christ.(Conte)
(e)2:14 By occasion of a soul:That is, by having touched the dead; in which case, according to the prescription of the law, Num. 19:13, 22, a person not only became unclean himself, but made every thing that he touched unclean. The prophet applies all this to the people, whose souls remained unclean by neglecting the temple of God; and therefore were not sanctified by the flesh they offered in sacrifice: but rather defiled their sacrifices by approaching to them in the state of uncleanness.(Challoner)
(f)2:19 The verb ‘have been uttered’ could also be rendered ‘have been cast’ or ‘have been thrown.’ The somewhat unusual translation ‘uttered’ is used here for several reasons. The foundations of the Church include the Word of God, which is uttered by God, as well as Tradition and the teachings of the Magisterium, each of can be said to be uttered by God. Also, the Church itself is an image of Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. The Second Person can be said to be uttered by the First Person within the Trinity.(Conte)
(g)2:22 Or, ‘I will move heaven and earth together.’(Conte)
(h)2:23 The four-horse chariot, in the modern context, refers to various types of motor vehicles.(Conte)
(i)2:24 O Zorobabel:This promise principally relates to Christ, who was of the race of Zorobabel.(Challoner)
1
In the seventh month, in the twenty-first day of the month, the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
2
“Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying,
3
‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Isn’t it in your eyes as nothing?
4
Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work, for I am with you,’ says the LORD of Armies.
5
This is the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit lived among you. ‘Don’t be afraid.’
6
For this is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘Yet once more, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land;
7
and I will shake all nations. The treasure of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Armies.
8
The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says the LORD of Armies.
9
‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of Armies; ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of Armies.”

Blessings for a Defiled People

10
In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
11
“The LORD of Armies says: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
12
‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?’” The priests answered, “No.”
13
Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, will it be unclean?” The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”
14
Then Haggai answered, “‘So is this people, and so is this nation before me,’ says the LORD; ‘and so is every work of their hands. That which they offer there is unclean.
15
Now, please consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid on a stone in the LORD’s temple.
16
Through all that time, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty, there were only twenty.
17
I struck you with blight, mildew, and hail in all the work of your hands; yet you didn’t turn to me,’ says the LORD.
18
‘Consider, please, from this day and backward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, since the day that the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid, consider it.
19
Is the seed yet in the barn? Yes, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree haven’t produced. From today I will bless you.’”

Zerubbabel the LORD’s Signet Ring

20
The LORD’s word came the second time to Haggai in the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying,
21
“Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, ‘I will shake the heavens and the earth.
22
I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overthrow the chariots and those who ride in them. The horses and their riders will come down, everyone by the sword of his brother.
23
In that day, says the LORD of Armies, I will take you, Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the LORD, ‘and will make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ says the LORD of Armies.”
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