12. Suppose meat ready to be sacrificed to God is being carried in the folds of someone's clothing, and the clothing rubs against some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or any other food. Would those foods that were touched then become acceptable for sacrifice?“Of course not,” the priests answered.
13. Then Haggai said, “Suppose someone has touched a dead body and is considered unacceptable to worship God. If that person touches these foods, would they become unclean?”“Of course they would,” the priests answered.
14. So the Lord told Haggai to say:That's how it is with this entire nation. Everything you do and every sacrifice you offer is unacceptable to me.
15. But from now on, things will get better. Before you started laying the foundation for the temple,
16. you recalled what life was like in the past. When you wanted two hundred kilogrammes of wheat, there were only a hundred, and when you wanted fifty jars of wine, there were only twenty.
17. I made all your hard work useless by sending mildew, mould, and hail—but you still did not return to me, your Lord.
18. Today you have completed the foundation for my temple, so listen to what your future will be like.
19. Although you have not yet harvested any grain, grapes, figs, pomegranates, or olives, I will richly bless you in the days ahead.