The Hebrew Prophets

"The glory of this new house will surpass that of the old," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, "and in this place I will grant shalom," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot.'"

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month in the second year of Daryavesh, this word of ADONAI came through Hagai the prophet:

"Here is what ADONAI-Tzva'ot says: 'Ask the cohanim what the Torah says about this:

if someone carries meat that has been set aside as holy in a fold of his cloak; and then he lets his cloak touch bread, stew, wine, olive oil or any other food; does that food become holy too?'" The cohanim answered, "No."

Then Hagai asked, "If someone who is unclean from having had contact with a corpse touches any of these [food items], will they become unclean?" The cohanim answered, "They become unclean."

Hagai then said, "'That is the condition of this people, that is the condition of this nation before me,' says ADONAI, 'and that is the condition of everything their hands produce; so that anything they offer there is unclean.

Now, please, from this day on, keep this in mind: before you began laying stones on each other to rebuild the temple of ADONAI,

throughout that whole time, when someone approached a twenty-measure pile [of grain], he found only ten; and when he came to the winepress to draw out fifty measures, there were only twenty.

I struck you with blasting winds, mildew and hail on everything your hands produced; but you still wouldn't return to me,' says ADONAI.

'So please keep this in mind, from this day on, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day the foundation of ADONAI's temple was laid, consider this:

there's no longer any seed in the barn, is there? and the vine, fig tree, pomegranate tree and olive tree have produced nothing yet, right? However, from this day on, I will bless you.'"

The word of ADONAI came a second time to Hagai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, as follows:

"Tell Z'rubavel, governor of Y'hudah, 'I will shake the heavens and the earth,

I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms, I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and I will overturn the chariots and the people riding in them; the horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.

When that day comes,' says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, 'I will take you, Z'rubavel, my servant, the son of Sh'alti'el,' says ADONAI, 'and wear you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,' says ADONAI-Tzva'ot."

In the eighth month of the second year of Daryavesh, the following message from ADONAI came to Z'kharyah the son of Berekhyah, the son of 'Iddo, the prophet:

"ADONAI was extremely angry with your ancestors.

Therefore, tell them that ADONAI-Tzva'ot says this: '"Return to me," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, "and I will return to you," says ADONAI-Tzva'ot.

"Don't be like your ancestors. The earlier prophets proclaimed to them, 'ADONAI-Tzva'ot says to turn back now from your evil ways and deeds'; but they didn't listen or pay attention to me," says ADONAI.

"Your ancestors, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?

But my words and my laws, which I ordered my servants the prophets, overtook your ancestors, didn't they? Then they turned and said, 'ADONAI has dealt with us according to our ways and deeds, just as he intended to do.'"'"

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Sh'vat, in the second year of Daryavesh, this message from ADONAI came to Z'kharyah the son of Berekhyah, the son of 'Iddo, the prophet:

It was night, and I saw there before me a man riding on a russet-colored horse. He stood among the myrtle bushes in the valley; and behind him were other horses, russet, chestnut-colored and white.

I asked, "What are these, my Lord?" The angel speaking with me said to me, "I will show you what these are."

The man standing among the myrtles said, "These are those whom ADONAI has sent to wander throughout the earth."