So the <sc>Lordsc> spoke through the prophet Haggai as follows:<n id="1" />

Then Haggai, the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s messenger, spoke the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s word to the people:<n id="1" /> &#8220;I am with you!&#8221; says the <sc>Lordsc>.

<t /><p class="bodytext">On the twenty-first day of the seventh month,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> spoke again through the prophet Haggai:<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> spoke again to Haggai<n id="1" /> on the twenty-fourth day of the month:<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month of Darius&#8217; second year,<n id="1" /> the <sc>Lordsc> spoke again to the prophet Haggai:<n id="2" />

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" />

<p class="bodytext">Then Haggai responded, &#8220;&#8216;The people of this nation are unclean in my sight,&#8217;<n id="1" /> says the <sc>Lordsc>. &#8216;And so is all their effort; everything they offer is also unclean.<n id="2" />