10 On the 24th of the ninth month in King Dareyavesh’s (Darius’) second year (about two months later), Yahweh gave a message to the prophet Hagay: 11 Commander-in-chief Yahweh says, “Ask the priests about Mosheh’s (Moses’) instructions. 12 ‘If a priest took some meat that had been offered to God and carried it wrapped in a piece of clothing, then if the clothing touched some other food, would that other food become holy?’ ”

“No, it wouldn’t,” the priests replied.

13 Then Hagay asked, “But if a person became unclean by touching a corpse and then touched any of that food, would it become unclean?”

“Yes, it would become unclean,”[ref] the priests answered.

14 “That’s what Yahweh declares about you people,” Hagay continued. “He says that that’s how this country acts towards him. Your actions are dishonourable, and then that same disrespect transfers to your offerings. 15 So now think back to before stones were being laid for Yahweh’s temple. 16 During that time, when someone went to get twenty containers of grain, there were only ten there, and when someone went to fill fifty jars of wine from the vat, there was only enough for twenty. 17 Yahweh declares that he caused blight and mildew and hail to affect your work, but you still didn’t turn to him. 18 Think back to the time from when the foundation of Yahweh’s temple was laid, until today (this 24th of the ninth month). Consider that. 19 Is any grain left in the storehouse for seed? What’s more, the vines, and the fig trees and pomegranate trees and olive trees, haven’t produced fruit. However, Yahweh will bless you from today onwards.”