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New International Version (NIV) |
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1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Word of God came through the prophet Haggai: "Tell Governor Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and High Priest Joshua son of Jehozadak
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1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai:
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2 and all the people:
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2 "Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them,
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3 'Is there anyone here who saw the Temple the way it used to be, all glorious? And what do you see now? Not much, right?
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3 'Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?
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4 "'So get to work, Zerubbabel!' - God is speaking. "'Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak - high priest!' "'Get to work, all you people!' - God is speaking.
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4 But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD. 'Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,' declares the LORD, 'and work. For I am with you,' declares the LORD Almighty.
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5 'Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I'm living and breathing among you right now. Don't be timid. Don't hold back.'
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5 'This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.'
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6 "This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: 'Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields.
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6 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.
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7 And I'll shake down all the godless nations. They'll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.' God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.
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7 I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD Almighty.
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8 'I own the silver, I own the gold.' Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
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8 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the LORD Almighty.
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9 "'This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.' Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies."
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9 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the LORD Almighty."
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10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (again, this was in the second year of Darius), God's Message came to Haggai:
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10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai:
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11 "God-of-the-Angel-Armies speaks: Consult the priests for a ruling.
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11 "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Ask the priests what the law says:
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12 If someone carries a piece of sacred meat in his pocket, meat that is set apart for sacrifice on the altar, and the pocket touches a loaf of bread, a dish of stew, a bottle of wine or oil, or any other food, will these foods be made holy by such contact?" The priests said, "No."
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12 If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?' " The priests answered, "No."
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13 Then Haggai said, "How about someone who is contaminated by touching a corpse - if that person touches one of these foods, will it be contaminated?" The priests said, "Yes, it will be contaminated."
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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."
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14 Then Haggai said, "'So, this people is contaminated. Their nation is contaminated. Everything they do is contaminated. Whatever they do for me is contaminated.' God says so.
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14 Then Haggai said, " 'So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,' declares the LORD. 'Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
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15 "'Think back. Before you set out to lay the first foundation stones for the rebuilding of my Temple,
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15 " 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on--consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple.
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16 how did it go with you? Isn't it true that your foot-dragging, halfhearted efforts at rebuilding the Temple of God were reflected in a sluggish, halfway return on your crops - half the grain you were used to getting, half the wine?
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16 When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.
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17 I hit you with drought and blight and hail. Everything you were doing got hit. But it didn't seem to faze you. You continued to ignore me.' God's Decree.
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17 I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,' declares the LORD.
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18 "'Now think ahead from this same date - this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Think ahead from when the Temple rebuilding was launched.
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18 'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD's temple was laid. Give careful thought:
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19 Has anything in your fields - vine, fig tree, pomegranate, olive tree - failed to flourish? From now on you can count on a blessing.'"
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19 Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. " 'From this day on I will bless you.' "
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20 God's Message came a second time to Haggai on that most memorable day, the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month:
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20 The word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:
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21 "Speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah:
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21 "Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth.
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22 overthrow governments, destroy foreign powers, dismantle the world of weapons and armaments, throw armies into confusion, so that they end up killing one another.
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22 I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
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23 And on that day'" - this is God's Message - "'I will take you, O Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, as my personal servant and I will set you as a signet ring, the sign of my sovereign presence and authority. I've looked over the field and chosen you for this work.'" The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
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23 " 'On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty."
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| Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved. (The Message Bible Online) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
