11 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
12 If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any food, shall it become holy? And the priests answered and said, No.
13 Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean.
14 Then answered Haggai and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith Jehovah; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean.
15 And now, I pray you, consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of Jehovah.
16 Through all that time, when one came to a heap of twenty `measures', there were but ten; when one came to the winevat to draw out fifty `vessels', there were but twenty.
17 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in all the work of your hands; yet ye `turned' not to me, saith Jehovah.
18 Consider, I pray you, from this day and backward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth `month', since the day that the foundation of Jehovah's temple was laid, consider it.
19 Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree have not brought forth; from this day will I bless `you'.
20 And the word of Jehovah came the second time unto Haggai in the four and twentieth `day' of the month, saying,