So the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai as follows:

Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s word to the people: “I am with you!” says the Lord.

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the Lord spoke again through the prophet Haggai:

Then the Lord spoke again to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month:

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius’ second year, the Lord spoke again to the prophet Haggai:

Then Haggai asked, “If a person who is ritually unclean because of touching a dead body comes in contact with one of these items, will it become unclean?” The priests answered, “It will be unclean.”

On the first day of the sixth month of King Darius’ second year, the Lord spoke this message through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak:

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, along with the whole remnant of the people, obeyed the Lord their God. They responded favorably to the message of the prophet Haggai, who spoke just as the Lord their God had instructed him, and the people began to respect the Lord.

Then Haggai responded, “‘The people of this nation are unclean in my sight,’ says the Lord. ‘And so is all their effort; everything they offer is also unclean.