The Coming Glory of the Temple

2 ^(A)In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: ² “Speak now to ^(B)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to ^(C)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, ^3 (D)‘Who is left among you who saw this house ^(E)in its former glory? How do you see it now? ^(F)Is it not as nothing in your eyes? ⁴ Yet now ^(G)be strong, O ^(H)Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. ^(I)Be strong, O ^(J)Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. ^(K)Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. ^(L)Work, for ^(M)I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, ^5 (N)according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. ^(O)My Spirit remains in your midst. ^(P)Fear not. ⁶ For thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(Q)Yet once more, in a little while, ^(R)I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. ⁷ And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and ^(S)I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. ^8 (T)The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. ^9 (U)The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And ^(V)in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

3 ^(A)“Behold, I send ^(B)my messenger, and ^(C)he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord ^(D)whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and ^(E)the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. ² But ^(F)who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For ^(G)he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. ³ He will sit ^(H)as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring ^(I)offerings in righteousness to the Lord.^{[a] 4 (J)}Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

⁵ “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be ^(K)a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those ^(L)who oppress the hired worker in his wages, ^(M)the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Robbing God

⁶ “For ^(N)I the Lord do not change; ^(O)therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. ^7 (P)From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. ^(Q)Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. ^(R)But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

^4 (A)Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.