2. He told Haggai to speak to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, to Joshua, the High Priest, and to the people, and to say to them,
3. “Is there anyone among you who can still remember how splendid the Temple used to be? How does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all.
4. But now don't be discouraged, any of you. Do the work, for I am with you.
5. When you came out of Egypt, I promised that I would always be with you. I am still with you, so do not be afraid.
6. “Before long I will shake heaven and earth, land and sea.
7. I will overthrow all the nations, and their treasures will be brought here, and the Temple will be filled with wealth.
8. All the silver and gold of the world is mine.
9. The new Temple will be more splendid than the old one, and there I will give my people prosperity and peace.” The Lord Almighty has spoken.
10. On the 24th day of the ninth month of the second year that Darius was emperor, the Lord Almighty spoke again to the prophet Haggai.
11. He said, “Ask the priests for a ruling on this question:
12. Suppose someone takes a piece of consecrated meat from a sacrifice and carries it in a fold of his robe. If he then lets his robe touch any bread, cooked food, wine, olive oil, or any kind of food at all, will it make that food consecrated also?”When the question was asked, the priests answered, “No.”
13. Then Haggai asked, “Suppose someone is defiled because he has touched a dead body. If he then touches any of these foods, will that make them defiled too?”The priests answered, “Yes.”
14. Then Haggai said, “The Lord says that the same thing applies to the people of this nation and to everything they produce; and so everything they offer on the altar is defiled.”
15. The Lord says, “Can't you see what has happened to you? Before you started to rebuild the Temple,
16. you would go to a heap of corn expecting to find 200 kilogrammes, but there would be only a hundred. You would go to draw a hundred litres of wine from a vat, but find only forty.
17. I sent scorching winds and hail to ruin everything you tried to grow, but still you did not repent.