10In the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the Word of Yahweh came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
11"Thus says Yahweh of Hosts: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying,
12`If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, stew, wine, oil, or any food, will it become holy?`" The priests answered, "No."
13Then Haggai said, "If one who is unclean by reason of a dead body touch any of these, will it be unclean?" The priests answered, "It will be unclean."
14Then Haggai answered, "`So is this people, and so is this nation before me,` says Yahweh; `and so is every work of their hands. That which they offer there is unclean.
15Now, please consider from this day and backward, before a stone was laid on a stone in the temple of Yahweh.
16Through all that time, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty, there were only twenty.
