8. “Can a person cheat God? Yet, you are cheating me!“But you ask, ‘How are we cheating you?’“When ⌊you don’t bring⌋ a tenth of your income and other contributions.
9. So a curse is on you because the whole nation is cheating me!
10. “Bring one-tenth of your income 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 won’t open the windows of heaven for you and flood you with blessings.
11. Then, for your sake, I will stop insects from eating ⌊your crops⌋. They will not destroy the produce of your land. The vines in your fields will not lose their unripened grapes,” says the Lord of Armies.
12. “All nations will call you blessed because you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Armies.
13. “You have used harsh words against me,” says the Lord.“You ask, ‘How have we spoken against you?’
14. “You have said, ‘It’s pointless to serve God. What do we gain if we meet his standards or if we walk around feeling sorry for what we’ve done?
15. So now we call arrogant people blessed. Not only are evildoers encouraged, they even test God and get away with it.’ ”