The Israelites are robbing God
6 ‘I am the Lord and I do not change. Because of my promises to my people, I have not destroyed you, descendants of Jacob. 7 I have told you my commands. But you do not listen to me any longer. Since the time of your ancestors, you have not obeyed me. Now, return to me! Then I will return to bless you.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
‘But you ask, “How do we return to you?” 8 I say to you, “A man should not rob God. But you are robbing me.”
But you ask, “How do we rob you?” I say, “You do not give me the tithes and the offerings that you should give.” 9 Yes, all of you are robbing me. The whole nation is guilty. So you will receive the punishment of a curse.
3:9The Israelites had to take some of their crops (a tithe) to the temple. The tithe would help the work of the priests and the Levites in the temple. God chose the Levites to do special work for him in his temple. They helped the priests in the temple.
10 Now you must bring the whole tithe that belongs to me. Store it in my temple, so that there will be food in my house. Obey me and then see what I will do.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
‘You will see how much I will bless you! You will not have enough room to store all the good things that I will give to you. I will pour blessings out of the sky like rain. 11 I will stop insects from eating your crops. The grapes will not fall from your vines before they are ready to eat. 12 You will be happy to live in your land. The people of all the other nations will see that God has blessed you.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
13 The Lord says, ‘You have spoken bad words against me.
But you ask, “What have we said against you?”
14 You have said, “We serve God, but that has not helped us at all. We are careful to do what he tells us to do. When we do wrong things, we have sad faces to show the Lord Almighty that we are sorry. 15 But it is proud people that God blesses! Yes, it is the people who do evil things who become rich! God does not even punish people who like to test him. That is what we think.” ’
