The Abridged Book of Haggai

1:1. During the second year of King Darius's reign, on the first day of the sixth month, God's message was delivered to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the high priest, through the prophet Haggai.

1:2. God relayed this message: The people are saying it's not yet time to rebuild God's temple.

1:3. Haggai received another message from God.

1:4. God asked if it was fair for the people to live comfortably in their well-built homes while God's house was still in ruins.

1:5. So, God advised: Reflect on your actions and life.

1:6. Despite your hard work planting many seeds, your harvest is small. You eat but are never fully satisfied; you drink but remain thirsty; you dress warmly but cannot keep out the cold; you earn money only for it to disappear as though your pockets were full of holes.

1:7. Again, God said: Reflect on your actions and life.

1:8. Go up to the mountains; fetch wood and start building the temple—and when you do this, I will be happy and honored, says God.

1:9. You expected a lot, but it turned out to be little. Whatever you brought home, I diminished. Why? God asks. It's because the temple remains in ruins while each of you is busy with your own houses.

1:10. That's why there's no dew from the sky above you, and the earth doesn't produce crops.

1:11. I brought drought to the land—its fields, mountains, grain, wine, oil, and everything the soil produces—and it has affected people and livestock and all your efforts.

1:12. Then Zerubbabel and Joshua along with the rest of the people heeded what God said, following the guidance of Haggai because God had sent him, and they showed deep respect for God.

1:13. Haggai delivered the message from God to the people: God says, "I am with you."

1:14. God motivated everyone—the governor Zerubbabel, the high priest Joshua, and all who were left—to work together on erecting God's temple.

1:15. This all began on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in King Darius' second year of reign.

2:1. On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, God inspired the prophet Haggai to send a message,

2:2. telling him to speak to Zerubbabel, the leader of Judah, to Joshua, the head religious leader, and to all the remaining people,

2:3. asking who among them remembered how grand the Temple used to be and if they think it looks like nothing now in comparison.

2:4. God encourages Zerubbabel and Joshua as well as all the people to be courageous and work hard because God is with them,

2:5. reminding them that just like God promised when they left Egypt, God's presence continues with them so they shouldn't be afraid.

2:6. And God announces an intention to transform not only the sky and earth but also the oceans and dry land in a short time;

2:7. saying all nations will feel this transformation, and through it, all nations will have what they long for brought into this Temple which will be filled with splendor,

2:8. reminding them that all wealth belongs to God.

2:9. God says the grandeur of this future place will surpass that of the old, and here, I will bring tranquility.

2:10. On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, during the second year of King Darius, God's message came through the prophet Haggai.

2:11. God commands: Go and ask those knowledgeable about religious laws,

2:12. Suppose someone carries something sacred in their clothing and it touches food, soup, wine, oil, or any kind of food - does it become sacred? The answer from those who know the law is 'no.'

2:13. Haggai then asks: If a person who has been in contact with a corpse touches any of these items, do they become contaminated? And they affirmed that it does become contaminated.

2:14. Then Haggaid speaks up and says this is how God views the people and this country - no different than someone contaminated by a corpse touching something; their actions and what they present are considered contaminated as well.

2:15. I urge you now to think back to before any stone was laid upon another stone in God's temple:

2:16. Consider how in those times when you expected to find a large quantity—like twenty measures—you found only half; or expected to draw fifty measures from your wine squeezers and end up with just twenty.

2:17. I sent drought, plant diseases, and hail to ruin all your hard work, but you still did not turn to me," says God.

2:18. Think carefully about the past, starting from December 18th, which is the day since when the reconstruction of God's temple began.

2:19. Have you stored any crops yet? No, your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees haven't produced anything yet. But from today onward, I will bless you.

2:20. Then, on December 18th, God gave another message to Haggai.

2:21. "Tell Zerubbabel, the leader of Judah, that I'm going to shake the heavens and the earth."

2:22. "I will overturn powerful governments and destroy their military strength; I will topple their chariots and their riders; horses and soldiers will fall to their own comrades' attacks."

2:23. "On that day," God declares, "I will take you Zerubbabel,—you're like a seal on my ring because you have been chosen—says God Almighty."