TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Haggai - Chapter 2
Translation and Transliteration of
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1on the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of Hashem came through the Navi Chagai:
אבַּשְּׁבִיעִי בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָיָה דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה בְּיַד־חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃
2Speak to Zerubavel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Yehuda, and to the Kohen Gadol Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak, and to the rest of the people:
באֱמָר־נָא אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שַׁלְתִּיאֵל פַּחַת יְהוּדָה וְאֶל־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְאֶל־שְׁאֵרִית הָעָם לֵאמֹר׃
3Who is there left among you who saw this House in its former splendor? How does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing to you.
גמִי בָכֶם הַנִּשְׁאָר אֲשֶׁר רָאָה אֶת־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה בִּכְבוֹדוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן וּמָה אַתֶּם רֹאִים אֹתוֹ עַתָּה הֲלוֹא כָמֹהוּ כְּאַיִן בְּעֵינֵיכֶם׃
4But be strong, O Zerubavel—says Hashem—be strong, O Kohen Gadol Yehoshua son of Yehotzadak; be strong, all you people of the land—says Hashem—and act! For I am with you—says the lord of Hosts.
דוְעַתָּה חֲזַק זְרֻבָּבֶל נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וַחֲזַק יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן־יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וַחֲזַק כָּל־עַם הָאָרֶץ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וַעֲשׂוּ כִּי־אֲנִי אִתְּכֶם נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃
5So I promised you when you came out of Egypt, and My spirit is still in your midst. Fear not!
האֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־כָּרַתִּי אִתְּכֶם בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְרוּחִי עֹמֶדֶת בְּתוֹכְכֶם אַל־תִּירָאוּ׃
6For thus said the lord of Hosts: In just a little while longer I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land;
וכִּי כֹה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת עוֹד אַחַת מְעַט הִיא וַאֲנִי מַרְעִישׁ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת־הַיָּם וְאֶת־הֶחָרָבָה׃
7I will shake all the nations. And the precious things of all the nations shall come [here], and I will fill this House with glory, said the lord of Hosts.
זוְהִרְעַשְׁתִּי אֶת־כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וּבָאוּ חֶמְדַּת כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם וּמִלֵּאתִי אֶת־הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה כָּבוֹד אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃
8Silver is Mine and gold is Mine—says the lord of Hosts.
חלִי הַכֶּסֶף וְלִי הַזָּהָב נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃
9The glory of this latter House shall be greater than that of the former one, said the lord of Hosts; and in this place I will grant prosperity—declares the lord of Hosts.
ga-DOL yih-YEH k'-VOD ha-BA-yit ha-ZEH ha-a-kha-RON min HA-ri-SHON a-MAR a-do-NAI tz'-va-OT u-va-ma-KOM ha-ZEH e-TAYN sha-LOM n'-UM a-do-NAI tz'-va-OT
טגָּדוֹל יִהְיֶה כְּבוֹד הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה הָאַחֲרוֹן מִן־הָרִאשׁוֹן אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת וּבַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה אֶתֵּן שָׁלוֹם נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃
2:9 And in this place I will grant prosperity
Chagai prophesies of a time when all the nations of the world will recognize Hashem, Whose glory rests on the Beit Hamikdash in Yerushalayim (ירושלים). Chagai promises that “in this place I will grant shalom (שלום),” translated here as ‘prosperity’ but generally meaning ‘peace’. The word makom (מקום), ‘place,’ often refers to a sacred place that God chooses (see for example Deuteronomy 12:5, 1 Kings 8:29, 30), and specifically refers to Yerushalayim (see for example II Kings 22:16). This promise of peace in Yerushalayim corresponds with the tradition that Yerushalayim is the city of peace, and is reflected in the Hebrew name of the city. Yerushalayim is derived from two words, yerush — shalom (ירוש-שלום), ‘an inheritance of peace.’
Peeking through the trees at the Holy City of Jerusalem. Photo by Rebecca Kowalsky.
Jerusalem, city of peace
10On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth [month], in the second year of Darius, the word of Hashem came to the Navi Chagai:
יבְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לַתְּשִׁיעִי בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ הָיָה דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶל־חַגַּי הַנָּבִיא לֵאמֹר׃
11Thus said the lord of Hosts: Seek a ruling from the Kohanim, as follows:
יאכֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁאַל־נָא אֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִים תּוֹרָה לֵאמֹר׃
12If a man is carrying sacrificial flesh in a fold of his garment, and with that fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any other food, will the latter become holy? In reply, the Kohanim said, “No.”
יבהֵן יִשָּׂא־אִישׁ בְּשַׂר־קֹדֶשׁ בִּכְנַף בִּגְדוֹ וְנָגַע בִּכְנָפוֹ אֶל־הַלֶּחֶם וְאֶל־הַנָּזִיד וְאֶל־הַיַּיִן וְאֶל־שֶׁמֶן וְאֶל־כָּל־מַאֲכָל הֲיִקְדָּשׁ וַיַּעֲנוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא׃
13Chagai went on, “If someone defiled by a corpse touches any of these, will it be defiled?” And the Kohanim responded, “Yes.”
יגוַיֹּאמֶר חַגַּי אִם־יִגַּע טְמֵא־נֶפֶשׁ בְּכָל־אֵלֶּה הֲיִטְמָא וַיַּעֲנוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים וַיֹּאמְרוּ יִטְמָא׃
14Thereupon Chagai said: That is how this people and that is how this nation looks to Me—declares Hashem—and so, too, the work of their hands: Whatever they offer there is defiled.
ידוַיַּעַן חַגַּי וַיֹּאמֶר כֵּן הָעָם־הַזֶּה וְכֵן־הַגּוֹי הַזֶּה לְפָנַי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְכֵן כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם וַאֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיבוּ שָׁם טָמֵא הוּא׃
15And now take thought, from this day backward: As long as no stone had been laid on another in the House of Hashem,
v'-a-TAH SEE-mu NA l'-vav-KHEM min ha-YOM ha-ZEH va-MA-lah mi-TE-rem sum E-ven el E-ven b'-hay-KHAL a-do-NAI
טווְעַתָּה שִׂימוּ־נָא לְבַבְכֶם מִן־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וָמָעְלָה מִטֶּרֶם שׂוּם־אֶבֶן אֶל־אֶבֶן בְּהֵיכַל יְהֹוָה׃
No stone had been laid on another in the House of Hashem
President Yitzchak Navon (1921-2015)
In this verse, the prophet addresses the masons’ job of laying bricks to build the Beit Hamikdash, but it is likely that he is also speaking metaphorically about laying the “bricks” that “construct” society. Yitzchak Navon (1921-2015), a leading Israeli diplomat and playwright and Israel’s fifth president, wrote beautifully about contributing “bricks” to the building of the State of Israel: “The angel Gabriel, according to tradition, is responsible for the ferrying of souls in the Land of Israel. If Gabriel came to me and said, ‘Look, I’m willing to take your soul now and give it back to you at any period of time in the history of the Nation of Israel, from the very beginning to this very day’ — I would not think of any other time other than Moses and the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. … But other than that, there is no more important period in the history of Israel, more interesting, and also tragic, like the redemption after two thousand years in exile. To be born at such a historical point in time! I’m glad that is what happened, and I could say, in this colossal endeavor called the State of Israel, I too contributed a brick to this important wall.”
16if one came to a heap of twenty measures, it would yield only ten; and if one came to a wine vat to skim off fifty measures, the press would yield only twenty.
טזמִהְיוֹתָם בָּא אֶל־עֲרֵמַת עֶשְׂרִים וְהָיְתָה עֲשָׂרָה בָּא אֶל־הַיֶּקֶב לַחְשֹׂף חֲמִשִּׁים פּוּרָה וְהָיְתָה עֶשְׂרִים׃
17I struck you—all the works of your hands—with blight and mildew and hail, but you did not return to Me—declares Hashem.
יזהִכֵּיתִי אֶתְכֶם בַּשִּׁדָּפוֹן וּבַיֵּרָקוֹן וּבַבָּרָד אֵת כָּל־מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיכֶם וְאֵין־אֶתְכֶם אֵלַי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה׃
18Take note, from this day forward—from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day when the foundation was laid for Hashem's Temple—take note
יחשִׂימוּ־נָא לְבַבְכֶם מִן־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וָמָעְלָה מִיּוֹם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לַתְּשִׁיעִי לְמִן־הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יֻסַּד הֵיכַל־יְהֹוָה שִׂימוּ לְבַבְכֶם׃
19while the seed is still in the granary, and the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not yet borne fruit. For from this day on I will send blessings.
יטהַעוֹד הַזֶּרַע בַּמְּגוּרָה וְעַד־הַגֶּפֶן וְהַתְּאֵנָה וְהָרִמּוֹן וְעֵץ הַזַּיִת לֹא נָשָׂא מִן־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אֲבָרֵךְ׃
20And the word of Hashem came to Chagai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:
כוַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהֹוָה שֵׁנִית אֶל־חַגַּי בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לַחֹדֶשׁ לֵאמֹר׃
21Speak to Zerubavel the governor of Yehuda: I am going to shake the heavens and the earth.
כאאֱמֹר אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶל פַּחַת־יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר אֲנִי מַרְעִישׁ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ׃
22And I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the might of the kingdoms of the nations. I will overturn chariots and their drivers. Horses and their riders shall fall, each by the sword of his fellow.
כבוְהָפַכְתִּי כִּסֵּא מַמְלָכוֹת וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּי חֹזֶק מַמְלְכוֹת הַגּוֹיִם וְהָפַכְתִּי מֶרְכָּבָה וְרֹכְבֶיהָ וְיָרְדוּ סוּסִים וְרֹכְבֵיהֶם אִישׁ בְּחֶרֶב אָחִיו׃
23On that day—declares the lord of Hosts—I will take you, O My servant Zerubavel son of Shealtiel—declares Hashem—and make you as a signet; for I have chosen you—declares the lord of Hosts.
כגבַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת אֶקָּחֲךָ זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן־שְׁאַלְתִּיאֵל עַבְדִּי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ כַּחוֹתָם כִּי־בְךָ בָחַרְתִּי נְאֻם יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת׃
