¹ on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of Yahweh was addressed through the prophet Haggai, as follows,

² 'You are to speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak the high priest and to the remnant of the people. Say this,

³ "Is there anyone left among you who saw this Temple in its former glory? And how does it look to you now? Does it not seem as though there is nothing there?

⁴ But take courage now, Zerubbabel!-Yahweh declares. Courage, Joshua son of Jehozadak high priest! Courage, all you people of the country!-Yahweh declares. To work! I am with you -- Yahweh Sabaoth declares-

⁵ and my spirit is present among you. Do not be afraid!

⁶ For Yahweh Sabaoth says this: A little while now, and I shall shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.

⁷ I shall shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will flow in, and I shall fill this Temple with glory, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

⁸ Mine is the silver, mine the gold!-Yahweh Sabaoth declares.

⁹ The glory of this new Temple will surpass that of the old, says Yahweh Sabaoth, and in this place I shall give peace -- Yahweh Sabaoth declares." '

¹⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of Yahweh was addressed to the prophet Haggai as follows,

¹¹ 'Yahweh Sabaoth says this, "Ask the priests to give a ruling on this:

¹² If someone is carrying consecrated meat in the fold of his gown and allows the fold to touch bread, broth, wine, oil or food of any kind, will that become holy?" ' The priests replied, 'No.'

¹³ Haggai then said, 'If anyone rendered unclean by contact with a corpse touches any of these things, will that become unclean?' The priests replied, 'It will become unclean.'

¹⁴ Haggai then spoke out. 'It is the same with this people,' he said, 'the same with this nation, in my view -- Yahweh declares -- the same with everything they turn their hands to; and whatever they offer here is unclean.

¹⁵ 'So now think carefully, today and henceforth: before one stone had been laid on another in the sanctuary of Yahweh,

¹⁶ what state were you in? You would come to a twenty-measure heap and find only ten; you would come to a vat to draw fifty measures and find only twenty.

¹⁷ Everything you turned your hands to, I struck with wind-blast, mildew and hail, and still you would not return to me -- Yahweh declares.

¹⁸ So think carefully, today and henceforth (from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of the sanctuary of Yahweh was laid, think carefully)

¹⁹ if seed-corn is still short in the barn, and if vine and fig tree, pomegranate and olive tree still bear no fruit. 'From today onwards I intend to bless you.'

²⁰ On the twenty-fourth day of the month the word of Yahweh was addressed a second time to Haggai, as follows,

²¹ 'Speak to Zerubbabel governor of Judah. Say this, "I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.

²² I shall overturn the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kings of the nations. I shall overthrow the chariots and their crews; horses and their riders will fall, every one to the sword of his comrade.

²³ When that day comes -- Yahweh Sabaoth declares -- I shall take you, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel my servant -- Yahweh declares -- and make you like a signet ring. For I have chosen you -- Yahweh Sabaoth declares." '

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The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) is a Catholic translation of the Bible published in 1985. The New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) has become the most widely used Roman Catholic Bible outside of the United States. It has the imprimatur of Cardinal George Basil Hume.

Like its predecessor, the Jerusalem Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) version is translated "directly from the Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic." The 1973 French translation, the Bible de Jerusalem, is followed only "where the text admits to more than one interpretation." Introductions and notes, with some modifications, are taken from the Bible de Jerusalem.

Source: The Very Reverend Dom (Joseph) Henry Wansbrough, OSB, MA (Oxon), STL (Fribourg), LSS (Rome), a monk of Ampleforth Abbey and a biblical scholar. He was General Editor of the New Jerusalem Bible. "New Jerusalem Bible, Regular Edition", pg. v.

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