Malachi 3:13-15

Resistance to the Lord through Self-sufficiency

3:13 “You have criticized me sharply,” ¹  says the Lord, “but you ask, ‘How have we criticized you?’ 3:14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped ²  by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord who rules over all? ³  3:15 So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. ⁴  In fact, those who challenge ⁵  God escape!’”

[3:13]  ¹ tn Heb “your words are hard [or “strong”] against me”; cf. NIV “said harsh things against me”; TEV, NLT “said terrible things about me.”

[3:14]  ² tn Heb “What [is the] profit”; NIV “What did we gain.”

[3:14]  ³ sn The people’s public display of self-effacing piety has gone unrewarded by the Lord. The reason, of course, is that it was blatantly hypocritical.

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Heb “built up” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “prosper”; NLT “get rich.”

[3:15]  ⁵ tn Or “test”; NRSV, CEV “put God to the test.”