&#8220;The <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all says, &#8216;Ask the priests about the law.<n id="1" />

&#8220;Ask the following questions to<n id="1" /> Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak,<n id="2" /> and the remnant of the people:

Then Haggai asked, &#8220;If a person who is ritually unclean because of touching a dead body<n id="1" /> comes in contact with one of these items, will it become unclean?&#8221; The priests answered, &#8220;It will be unclean.&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">On the first day of the sixth month<n id="1" /> of King Darius&#8217;<n id="2" /> second year, the <sc>Lordsc> spoke this message through the prophet Haggai<n id="3" /> to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak:<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak,<n id="1" /> along with the whole remnant of the people,<n id="2" /> obeyed<n id="3" /> the <sc>Lordsc> their God. They responded favorably to the message of the prophet Haggai, who spoke just as the <sc>Lordsc> their God had instructed him,<n id="4" /> and the people began to respect the <sc>Lordsc>.<n id="5" />

So the <sc>Lordsc> energized and encouraged<n id="1" /> Zerubbabel<n id="2" /> son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak,<n id="3" /> and the whole remnant of the people.<n id="4" /> They came and worked on the temple of their God, the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.

Even so, take heart, Zerubbabel,&#8217; says the <sc>Lordsc>. &#8216;Take heart, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and<n id="1" /> all you citizens of the land,&#8217;<n id="2" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>, &#8216;and begin to work. For I am with you,&#8217; says the <sc>Lordsc> who rules over all.

If someone carries holy meat in a fold of his garment and that fold touches bread, a boiled dish, wine, olive oil, or any other food, will that item become holy?&#8217;&#8221;<n id="1" /> The priests answered, &#8220;It will not.&#8221;