What they do now will be acceptable to Yahweh

10 On December 18 of that year, Yahweh gave another message to me, the prophet Haggai. 11 This is what the Commander of the armies of angels said to me: “Ask the priests this question about what is written in the laws of Moses about sacrifices: 12 ‘If one of you priests takes from the altar some meat that was sacrificed and is carrying it in his robes, if his robe touches some bread or stew or wine or olive oil or some other food, does that food also become ◄holy/acceptable for a sacrifice►?’”

When he said that to the priests, they replied, “No.”

13 Then Haggai asked them, “If someone becomes unacceptable to God by touching a corpse, and then he touches any of those foods, will the food also become unacceptable to God?”

The priests replied, “Yes.”

14 Then Haggai replied, “Yahweh says this: ‘It is the same with you people and with this nation. Everything that you do and all the sacrifices that you all offer are unacceptable to me because of the sins that you have committed.

15 Think about what has been happening to you before you began to lay the foundation of my temple. 16 When you expected to harvest 20 bushels of grain, you harvested only ten bushels. When someone went to a big wine vat to get 50 gallons of wine, there were only 20 gallons in the vat. 17 I sent ◄blight/hot winds► and mildew and hail to destroy all your crops. But still you did not return to me.

18 Starting from this day, December 18, the day when you have laid the foundation of my new temple, continue to think carefully about your situation. 19 Is there now [RHQ] any grain seed left in your barns? No, because you have eaten the small amount that you harvested. And there is no fruit on your grapevines and fig trees and pomegranate trees and olive trees.

But, from now on, I will bless you!’ ”