Haggai

Haggai 1
  1. Yo, it was like, in the year two of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day, the LORD hit up Haggai’s DMs with a message for Zerubbabel (basically the head honcho of Judah) and Joshua (the main priest), you feel? It was all, ‘Hey guys, listen up!’
  2. Listen up, y’all! The big man upstairs, the LORD of hosts, is saying this: These peeps I’m dealing with are straight up saying it’s not the right time to build the LORD’S house.
  3. So, like, the LORD spoke to Haggai, the prophet dude, and was like,
  4. Yo, is it cool for y’all to be loungin’ in your fancy cribs while this house is left all abandoned and neglected?
  5. Listen up, fam! Here’s what the Lord of all the crews has to say: Think about the moves you’re making. Stay focused on where you’re headed. #DeepThoughts
  6. Y’all been grindin’ non-stop, hustling and putting in work, but the results ain’t adding up. You’re eating, but still feeling empty; drinking, but never fully satisfied. You’re dressing fresh, but still feelin’ that chill. And whatever money you’re making, it’s like putting it straight into a bag full of holes. Like, it just slips through your fingers.
  7. Yo, hear this from God Almighty. Take a sec to think about your moves.
  8. Yo, hike up that mountain, grab some wood, and get to work on building that house. And trust, I’ll be hyped about it and I’ll be showing off, says the LORD.
  9. Y’all expected big things, but it fell short of what you hoped. And when you finally got it, it slipped away. So why did that happen? asks the LORD of all. It’s ’cause my house is in ruins while y’all are just focused on your own digs.
  10. So, like, the sky above won’t drop any dew, and the earth won’t yield its crops.
  11. I stopped the rain from falling—on the mountains and the fields, on the grain and the wine and the olive oil—everything that the land produces, on people and animals, and on all their labor.
  12. So Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and all the remnant of the people listened to the voice of their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people showed great reverence for the LORD.
  13. So Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, brought a word from the LORD to the people, saying, “I’m with you all the way, fam,” declares the LORD.
  14. And God stirred up Zerubbabel, who was leading Judah, and Joshua the high priest, and all the rest of the people. They were motivated to come together and start building the house of the LORD their God.
  15. On July 24th, in the second year of King Darius.
Haggai 2
  1. On the 21st day of the seventh month, the LORD hit up the prophet Haggai with a message, like, “Yo, Haggai, listen up!”
  2. Yo, Zerubbabel, you leading in Judah, and Joshua, top priest, and everyone else tuned in, peep this word.
  3. Yo, who remembers how lit this place was back in the day? It was straight fire. And now, check it: does it even come close? Let’s be real, it’s like total garbage compared to what it used to be, right?
  4. But check it, Zerubbabel, hear this straight: The LORD’s saying, keep it steady, alright? And Joshua, son of Josedech, high priest, you gotta stay solid too. And all y’all out there, same message from the LORD: stay strong and hustle! Why? ‘Cause I got your back, says the LORD of hosts.
  5. Yo, remember that covenant I laid down when y’all bounced from Egypt? Well, just so you know, my spirit’s still vibin’ with you. No stress, no fear, straight up.
  6. Yo, listen up, fam! The big guy upstairs has something to drop: Pretty soon, I’m gonna shake things up—sky, earth, oceans, even the desolate spots. It’s gonna be wild!
  7. And I’m gonna shake up every nation too, bringing all the dope stuff everyone’s been waiting for. Believe it, I’m gonna fill this place with straight-up awesomeness and glory, says the LORD of hosts.
  8. All the cash and bling? Yeah, it’s all mine, says the LORD, the boss of everything.
  9. God’s like, “Check it out, this new spot? It’s gonna be way cooler than the old one. I’m bringing those good vibes here,” says the LORD.
  10. It went down on November 24th, in the second year of Darius. That’s when the LORD dropped some truth through the prophet Haggai, and here’s what went down:
  11. “Listen up! The LORD, the ultimate boss, has something to say. If you’ve got questions about the law, hit up the priests, you feel me?”
  12. “Yo, if someone’s got something holy in their pocket and it accidentally touches food like bread, soup, wine, or oil, does that food become holy too?” The priests were like, “Nah, it doesn’t.”
  13. Haggai was like, “Yo, what if someone who’s touched a dead body messes with these things? Are they gonna be contaminated?” And the priests were like, “Yeah, for sure, they’ll be contaminated.”
  14. Then Haggai dropped some truth: “God’s like, ‘This is how it is with these people and this nation in my eyes. Everything they do, all their work, it’s just not up to par. Even their offerings are tainted.’”
  15. “Yo, pay attention! Seriously, take a sec to think about what I’m gonna drop. Imagine going way back, before they even started building the Lord’s temple…
  16. “Back then, you’d find a stash with twenty snacks, but now there’s only ten left. Or you’d grab fifty drinks from the fridge, but now there’s just twenty left.
  17. “I messed with your hustle—bad luck, mold, hail—screwing up everything you worked hard for. But instead of changing your ways, you acted like you didn’t see me,” says the LORD.
  18. “Yo, check it—starting today, specifically on the 24th day of the ninth month, when they laid the foundation of the Lord’s temple, pay attention to this.
  19. “Are the seeds still sitting tight in storage? Nah, the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree haven’t started popping off yet. But from today, I’m gonna bless you with some good stuff, fam.
  20. “And once again, the LORD spoke to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, like, …”
  21. Yo, Zerubbabel, running things in Judah! Check it, I’m about to shake up the whole universe, from the skies down to Earth!
  22. I’m gonna wreck those rulers and their fancy kingdoms, smash their armies and their slick chariots, and have them duke it out until they’re toast, dude.
  23. Yo, listen up! When that day rolls in, the Almighty’s got your back, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel. Yeah, you heard it right, says the LORD. I’m gonna make you a standout, ’cause I chose you, declares the Almighty.