^3:8Can a person rob¹⁵ God? You indeed are robbing me, but you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and contributions!¹⁶^3:9You are bound for judgment¹⁷ because you are robbing me—this whole nation is guilty.¹⁸

^3:10“Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse¹⁹ so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord who rules over all, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all. ^3:11Then I will stop the plague²⁰ from ruining your crops,²¹ and the vine will not lose its fruit before harvest,” says the Lord who rules over all. ^3:12“All nations will call you happy, for you indeed will live in²² a delightful land,” says the Lord who rules over all.

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Footnotes

15 The presupposes an underlying Hebrew text of עָקַב (’aqav, “deceive”), a metathesis of קָבַע (qava’, “rob”), in all four uses of the verb here (vv. 8–9). The intent probably is to soften the impact of “robbing” God, but the language of the passage is intentionally bold and there is no reason to go against the reading of the (which is followed here by most English versions).
16 The tithes and contributions mentioned here are probably those used to sustain the Levites (see Num 18:8, 11, 19, 21–24).
17 Heb “cursed with a curse” that is, “under a curse” (so , , ).
18 The phrase “is guilty” is not present in the Hebrew text but is implied, and has been supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic reasons.
19 The Hebrew phrase בֵּית הָאוֹצָר (bet ha’otsar, here translated “storehouse”) refers to a kind of temple warehouse described more fully in Nehemiah (where the term לִשְׁכָּה גְדוֹלָה [lishkah gédolah, “great chamber”] is used) as a place for storing grain, frankincense, temple vessels, wine, and oil (Neh 13:5). Cf. “to the Temple.”
20 Heb “the eater” (אֹכֵל, ’okhel), a general term for any kind of threat to crops and livelihood. This is understood as a reference to a locust plague by a number of English versions: , “the locust”; “pests”; , “insects.”
21 Heb “and I will rebuke for you the eater and it will not ruin for you the fruit of the ground.”
22 Heb “will be” (so , ); “your land will be a good place to live in.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer 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. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

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

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

“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, 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 of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!”

“How do we rob you?” you ask.

“By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. You are suffering under a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing me. Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way,” says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Armies. “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Armies.

NLTNew Living Translation

“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. 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! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Will a human dare to rob God? Yet you are robbing me! And you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In the tithes and the contributions! You are being cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you! Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse, so that there will be food in my house, and test me please in this,” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour forth for you an overflowing blessing. I will rebuke the devourer for you; it will not destroy the fruit of your soil; your vine in the field will not be unfruitful,” says Yahweh of hosts. “And all the nations will call you blessed, because you will be a land in which one takes joy,” says Yahweh of hosts.

KJV 1900King James Version

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me.

But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee?

In tithes and offerings.

Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me,

Even this whole nation.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,

That there may be meat in mine house,

And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts,

If I will not open you the windows of heaven,

And pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,

And he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground;

Neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.

And all nations shall call you blessed:

For ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of hosts.

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