¹⁹ Then the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are acting this way?”

⁹ Mortal, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, “What are you doing?”^(A)

¹⁸ And when your people say to you, “Will you not show us what you mean by these?”

¹³ You have spoken harsh words against me, says the Lord. Yet you say, “How have we spoken against you?”^(A)

⁷ Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, “How shall we return?”^(A)

Do Not Rob God

⁸ Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings!^(B)

⁷ And when they say to you, “Why do you moan?” you shall say, “Because of the news that has come. Every heart will melt, and all hands will be feeble, every spirit will faint, and all knees will turn to water. See, it comes and it will be fulfilled,” says the Lord God.

⁴⁹ Then I said, “Ah Lord God! They are saying of me, ‘Is he not a maker of allegories?’ ”^(A)

¹² Say now to the rebellious house: Do you not know what these things mean? Tell them: The king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and its officials, and brought them back with him to Babylon.^(A)