12 You Cushites also, you will be killed by my sword.
13 He will stretch out his hand against the north, destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as the wilderness. 14 Herds will lie down in the middle of her, all kinds of animals. Both the pelican and the porcupine will lodge in its capitals. Their calls will echo through the windows. Desolation will be in the thresholds, for he has laid bare the cedar beams. 15 This is the joyous city that lived carelessly, that said in her heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me.” How she has become a desolation, a place for animals to lie down in! Everyone who passes by her will hiss and shake their fists.
3
1 Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city! 2 She didn’t obey the voice. She didn’t receive correction. She didn’t trust in the LORD. She didn’t draw near to her God.
3 Her princes within her are roaring lions. Her judges are evening wolves. They leave nothing until the next day. 4 Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law. 5 The LORD, within her, is righteous. He will do no wrong. Every morning he brings his justice to light. He doesn’t fail, but the unjust know no shame.
6 I have cut off nations. Their battlements are desolate. I have made their streets waste, so that no one passes by. Their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, so that there is no inhabitant. 7 I said, “Just fear me. Receive correction,” so that her dwelling won’t be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her. But they rose early and corrupted all their doings.
8 “Therefore wait for me”, says the LORD, “until the day that I rise up to the prey, for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms to pour on them my indignation, even all my fierce anger, for all the earth will be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
9 For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the LORD’s name, to serve him shoulder to shoulder. 10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, my worshippers, even the daughter of my dispersed people, will bring my offering. 11 In that day you will not be disappointed for all your doings in which you have transgressed against me; for then I will take away out from amongst you your proudly exulting ones, and you will no more be arrogant in my holy mountain. 12 But I will leave amongst you an afflicted and poor people, and they will take refuge in the LORD’s name. 13 The remnant of Israel will not do iniquity nor speak lies, neither will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth, for they will feed and lie down, and no one will make them afraid.”
14 Sing, daughter of Zion! Shout, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem. 15 The LORD has taken away your judgements. He has thrown out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is amongst you. You will not be afraid of evil any more. 16 In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, “Don’t be afraid, Zion. Don’t let your hands be weak.” 17 The LORD, your God, is amongst you, a mighty one who will save. He will rejoice over you with joy. He will calm you in his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. 18 I will remove those who grieve about the appointed feasts from you. They are a burden and a reproach to you. 19 Behold,† at that time I will deal with all those who afflict you; and I will save those who are lame and gather those who were driven away. I will give them praise and honour, whose shame has been in all the earth. 20 At that time I will bring you in, and at that time I will gather you; for I will give you honour and praise amongst all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.
† 1:1: When rendered in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, “LORD” or “GOD” is the translation of God’s Proper Name (Hebrew “יהוה”, usually pronounced Yahweh).
‡ 1:7: The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”
† 2:7: The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
† 3:19: “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
Haggai
The Book of Haggai
1
1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, the LORD’s† word came by Haggai the prophet, to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “This is what the LORD of Armies says: These people say, ‘The time hasn’t yet come, the time for the LORD’s house to be built.’ ”
3 Then the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, while this house lies waste? 5 Now therefore this is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘Consider your ways. 6 You have sown much, and bring in little. You eat, but you don’t have enough. You drink, but you aren’t filled with drink. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages earns wages to put them into a bag with holes in it.’
7 “This is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘Consider your ways. 8 Go up to the mountain, bring wood, and build the house. I will take pleasure in it, and I will be glorified,” says the LORD. 9 “You looked for much, and, behold,‡ it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the LORD of Armies, “Because of my house that lies waste, while each of you is busy with his own house. 10 Therefore for your sake the heavens withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on that which the ground produces, on men, on livestock, and on all the labour of the hands.”
12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the LORD their God’s§ voice, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the LORD.
13 Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, spoke the LORD’s message to the people, saying, “I am with you,” says the LORD.
14 The LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of Armies, their God, 15 in the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.
2
1 In the seventh month, in the twenty-first day of the month, the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying, 3 ‘Who is left amongst you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Isn’t it in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ says the LORD. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the LORD, ‘and work, for I am with you,’ says the LORD of Armies. 5 This is the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit lived amongst you. ‘Don’t be afraid.’ 6 For this is what the LORD of Armies says: ‘Yet once more, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations. The treasure of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of Armies. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,’ says the LORD of Armies. 9 ‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of Armies; ‘and in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of Armies.”
10 In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the LORD’s word came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “The LORD of Armies says: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?’ ”
The priests answered, “No.”
13 Then Haggai said, “If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”
The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”
14 Then Haggai answered, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before me,’ says the LORD; ‘and so is every work of their hands. That
