Robbing God

“For (A)I the Lord do not change; (B)therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (C)From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. (D)Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. (E)But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. (F)But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ (G)In your tithes and contributions. (H)You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 (I)Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby (J)put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open (K)the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke (L)the devourer[a] for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then (M)all nations will call you blessed, for you will be (N)a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests

I am the Lord, and I do not change;
        and you, children of Jacob, have not perished.

Return to the Lord

Ever since the time of your ancestors,
        you have deviated from my laws
            and have not kept them.
Return to me and I will return to you,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
But you say,
    “How should we return?”
Should a person deceive God?
        Yet you deceive me.
But you say,
    “How have we deceived you?”
With your tenth-part gifts and offerings.
You are being cursed with a curse,
        and you, the entire nation, are robbing me.
10 Bring the whole tenth-part to the storage house so there might be food in my house.
        Please test me in this,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
See whether I do not open all the windows of the heavens for you
        and empty out a blessing until there is enough.[a]
11 I will threaten the one who wants to devour you
        so that it doesn’t spoil the fruit of your fertile land,
            and so that the vine doesn’t abort its fruit in your field,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
12 All the nations will consider you fortunate,
        for you will be a desirable land,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:10 Or Until what is required is lacking.