Malachi 3:14-15

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

[3:14]  ¹ tn Heb “What [is the] profit”; NIV “What did we gain.”

[3:14]  ² 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]  ³ tn Heb “built up” (so NASB); NIV, NRSV “prosper”; NLT “get rich.”

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Or “test”; NRSV, CEV “put God to the test.”