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“For I, Yahweh, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of Armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be room enough for. 11 I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says Yahweh of Armies. 12 “All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says Yahweh of Armies.

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A Call to Repentance

“I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’

“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!

“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’

“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11 Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:11 Hebrew from the devourer.

Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

“I the Lord do not change.(A) So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.(B) Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away(C) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return(D) to me, and I will return to you,”(E) says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask,(F) ‘How are we to return?’

“Will a mere mortal rob(G) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes(H) and offerings. You are under a curse(I)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe(J) into the storehouse,(K) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates(L) of heaven and pour out(M) so much blessing(N) that there will not be room enough to store it.(O) 11 I will prevent pests from devouring(P) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,(Q)” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed,(R) for yours will be a delightful land,”(S) says the Lord Almighty.(T)

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