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.”