The Hebrew Prophets

Greater is the honour of this latter house, Than of the former, said Jehovah of Hosts, And in this place do I give peace, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.'

On the twenty and fourth of the ninth month , in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:

Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: `Ask, I pray thee, the priests of the law, saying:

Lo, one doth carry holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and he hath come with his skirt against the bread, or against the pottage, or against the wine, or against the oil, or against any food--is it holy?' And the priests answer and say, `No.'

And Haggai saith, `If the unclean of body doth come against any of these, is it unclean?' And the priests answer and say, `It is unclean.'

And Haggai answereth and saith, `So is this people, and so is this nation before Me--an affirmation of Jehovah--and so is every work of their hands, and that which they bring near there--it is unclean.

And now, lay it , I pray you, to your heart, From this day, and onwards, Before the laying of stone to stone in the temple of Jehovah.

From that time one hath come to a heap of twenty, And it hath been ten, He hath come unto the wine-fat to draw out fifty purahs, And it hath been twenty.

I have smitten you with blasting, And with mildew, and with hail--All the work of your hands, And there is none of you with Me, An affirmation of Jehovah.

Set it , I pray you, to your heart, from this day and onwards, from the twenty and fourth day of the ninth month , even from the day that the temple of Jehovah hath been founded, set it to your heart.

Is the seed yet in the barn? And hitherto the vine and the fig, And the pomegranate, and the olive-tree, Have not borne--from this day I bless.'

And there is a word of Jehovah a second time unto Haggai, on the twenty and fourth of the month, saying:

`Speak unto Zerubbabel governor of Judah, saying: I am shaking the heavens and the earth,

And have overturned the throne of kingdoms, And I have destroyed the strength of kingdoms of the nations, And overturned chariot and its charioteers, And come down have horses and their riders, Each by the sword of his brother.

In that day--an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, I take thee, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant--an affirmation of Jehovah, And have set thee as a signet, for on thee I have fixed, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts!

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:

`Jehovah was wroth against your fathers--wrath!

And thou hast said unto them, Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, turn back unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, And I turn back unto you, said Jehovah of Hosts.

Ye shall not be as your fathers, To whom the former prophets called, saying: Thus said Jehovah of Hosts, Turn back I pray you, From your evil ways and from your evil doings, And they did not hearken, Nor attend to Me--an affirmation of Jehovah.

Your fathers--where are they? And the prophets--to the age do they live?

Only, My words, and My statutes, That I commanded My servants the prophets, Have they not overtaken your fathers, And they turn back and say: As Jehovah of Hosts designed to do to us, According to our ways, and according to our doings, So He hath done to us?'

On the twenty and fourth day of the eleventh month, (it is the month of Sebat,) in the second year of Darius, hath a word of Jehovah been unto Zechariah, son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, the prophet, saying:

I have seen by night, and lo, one riding on a red horse, and he is standing between the myrtles that are in the shade, and behind him are horses, red, bay, and white.

And I say, `What are these, my lord?' And the messenger who is speaking with me saith unto me, `I--I do shew thee what these are .'

And the one who is standing between the myrtles doth answer and say, `These are they whom Jehovah hath sent to walk up and down in the land.'