MAL 3:8 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=vital (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Can a human rob God? Yes, you’re all robbing me, but you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ By failing to give a tenth plus offerings.

Key: khaki:verbs, blue:Elohim.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Μήτι πτερνιεῖ ἄνθρωπος Θεόν; διότι ὑμεῖς πτερνίζετέ με· καὶ ἐρεῖτε, ἐν τίνι ἐπτερνίσαμέν σε; ὅτι τὰ ἐπιδέκατα, καὶ αἱ ἀπαρχαὶ μεθʼ ὑμῶν εἰσι.
(Maʸti pterniei anthrōpos Theon; dioti humeis pternizete me; kai ereite, en tini epternisamen se; hoti ta epidekata, kai hai aparⱪai methʼ humōn eisi. )

BrTr Will a man insult God? for ye insult me. But ye say, Wherein have we insulted thee? In that the tithes and first-fruits are with you still.

ULT “Will a human rob God? Yet you are robbing me.” But you say, ‘In what have we robbed you?’ “In the tithe and the contribution.”

UST You might think that no one would even try to steal from God. But you are stealing from me! You may wonder what I mean and ask, ‘How are we stealing from you?’ You are stealing from me by not giving me the tithes and offerings that you should.

OEB Can a human rob God? Yet you robbed me. You ask, “How have we robbed you?” In tithes and gifts!

CSB “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.

NLT “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.

NIV “Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’ “In tithes and offerings.

CEV You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, "How are we robbing you?" You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me.

ESV Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions.

NASB “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

LSB “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and contributions.

WEBBE Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.

WMBB (Same as above)

MSG ^(8-11)“Begin by being honest. Do honest people rob God? But you rob me day after day.
“You ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’
“The tithe and the offering—that’s how! And now you’re under a curse—the whole lot of you—because you’re robbing me. Bring your full tithe to the Temple treasury so there will be ample provisions in my Temple. Test me in this and see if I don’t open up heaven itself to you and pour out blessings beyond your wildest dreams. For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers.” The Message of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

NET Can a person rob God? You indeed are robbing me, but you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and contributions!

LSV Does man deceive God? But you are deceiving Me,
And you have said,
In what have we deceived You? The tithe and the raised-offering!

FBV Should people defraud God? Yet you are defrauding me![fn]
¶ But you ask, “How have we defrauded you?”
¶ In tithes and offerings.

3:8 “Defraud”: this is closer to the original meaning than rob. It also continues the theme of the people being descendants of the deceiver Jacob, who defrauded his brother out of his birthright.

T4T I reply, “People should certainly not [RHQ] cheat God; but you people have cheated me!”
¶ You ask, “In what way did we cheat you?”
¶ I reply, “You have cheated me by not bringing to me each year ◄the tithes/one tenth of all your crops and animals► and other offerings that you are required to give to me.

LEB 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!

NRSV Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you say, “How are we robbing you?” In your tithes and offerings!

NKJV “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

NAB Can anyone rob God? But you are robbing me! And you say, “How have we robbed you?” Of tithes and contributions!

BBE Will a man keep back from God what is right? But you have kept back what is mine. But you say, What have we kept back from you? Tenths and offerings.

Moff Well, can a man cheat God? And yet you are cheating me. ‘How have we cheated thee?’ you ask. By your tithes and offerings.

JPS Will a man rob God? Yet ye rob Me. But ye say: 'Wherein have we robbed Thee?' In tithes and heave-offerings.

ASV Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

DRA Shall a man afflict God? for you afflict me. And you have said: Wherein do we afflict thee? in tithes and in firstfruits.

YLT Doth man deceive God? but ye are deceiving Me, And ye have said: 'In what have we deceived Thee?' The tithe and the heave-offering!

Drby Will a man rob [fn]God? But ye rob me. And ye say, Wherein do we rob thee? [In] tithes and heave-offerings.

3.8 Elohim

RV Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
(Will a man rob God? yet ye/you_all rob me. But ye/you_all say, Wherein have we robbed thee/you? In tithes and offerings. )

SLT Will man defraud God? For ye defraud me. And ye said, In what did we defraud thee? The tenths and the offerings.

Wbstr Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, In what have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

KJB-1769 ¶ Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
(¶ Will a man rob God? Yet ye/you_all have robbed me. But ye/you_all say, Wherein have we robbed thee/you? In tithes and offerings. )

KJB-1611 ¶ Wil a man rob God? yet ye haue robbed me. But ye say, Wherein haue we robbed thee? In tithes & offerings.
(¶ Wil a man rob God? yet ye/you_all have robbed me. But ye/you_all say, Wherein have we robbed thee/you? In tithes and offerings.)

Bshps Wyll a man spoyle his Gods? yet ye haue spoyled me: and ye say, Wherein haue we spoyled thee? In tythes and offeringes?
(Will a man spoil his Gods? yet ye/you_all have spoiled me: and ye/you_all say, Wherein have we spoiled thee/you? In tithes and offerings?)

Gnva Will a man spoyle his gods? yet haue ye spoyled me: but ye say, Wherein haue we spoyled thee? In tithes, and offerings.
(Will a man spoil his gods? yet have ye/you_all spoiled me: but ye/you_all say, Wherein have we spoiled thee/you? In tithes, and offerings. )

Cvdl Shulde a man vse falsede and disceate with God, as ye vse falsede and disceate with me? Yet ye saye: wherin vse we disceate with the? In Tythes and heaue offerynges.
(Should a man use falsede and deceit with God, as ye/you_all use falsede and deceit with me? Yet ye/you_all say: wherein use we deceit with the? In Tythes and heave-offerings.)

Wycl If a man schal turmente God, for ye `togidere fitchen me. And ye seiden, In what thing `togidere fitchen we thee? In tithis and in `firste fruitis;
(If a man shall torment God, for ye/you_all together fitchen me. And ye/you_all said, In what thing together fitchen we thee/you? In tithes and in first fruits;)

Luth Ist‘s recht, daß ein Mensch GOtt täuschet, wie ihr mich täuschet? So sprechet ihr: Womit täuschen wir dich? Am Zehnten und Hebopfer.
(Is_it right, that a person God täuschet, as/like you(pl)/their/her me täuschet? So speaker you(pl)/their/her: Womit deceive we/us you/yourself? At_the tithe/tenth(n) and heave-offering.)

ClVg Si affliget homo Deum, quia vos configitis me? Et dixistis: In quo configimus te? In decimis et in primitiis.
(When/But_if affliget human God, because you(pl) configitis me? And you_said: In where configimus you(sg)? In tenths and in/into/on primitiis. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:6–18: If the people again start to give the LORD what they owe him, he will again bless them

Notice that this section also starts with the “Statement, Question, Response” pattern. However this time the sequence is expanded. The “Statement-Question” part occurs twice before a longer “Response” is given. (Another difference is that the second statement begins with a short question.) The “Statement-Question-Response” pattern marks the beginning of a new section.

3:6 is a transitional verse, as 2:17 was. Again, it is recommended that you take it as the first verse of this new section.

3:8b

Yet you are robbing Me!

But you^(plur) are cheating me.
Yet you^(plur) are stealing from me.

3:8c

But you ask,

But you^(plur) ask again,

3:8d

‘How do we rob You?’

‘In what way are we^(excl) cheating you?^(sing)’
‘What are we^(excl) stealing from you?^(sing)’

3:8

The people have just asked “How can we return?” In 3:8 and the following verses, the LORD begins to answer that question.

3:8a

Will a man rob God?

Do you^(plur) not realise that it is sinful for a person to cheat God?
I tell you,^(plur) it is wrong for a human being to steal from God.

Will a man rob God?: This is a rhetorical question. The question implies horror that such a thing could happen and yet it was happening. If you do not use rhetorical questions in this way in your language, you could use a statement. Here is one example:

It is wrong for a human being to rob God.NET has a note: “The LXX presupposes ḇqʿ, “deceive,” a metathesis of ʿḇq, “rob,” in all four uses of the verb here. 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 MT.” Some Bible versions (NLT, GW, NJB) follow that reading. It also has the attraction that this form of the verb would, in Hebrew, be a pun with the name for Jacob. However the MT (Hebrew text) makes good sense too, and there do not seem to be sufficient grounds for not following the Hebrew text.

a man: This refers to human beings, not males only.

3:8e

In tithes and offerings.

You^(plur) cheat me by not bringing me your^(plur) tithes and offerings.
You^(plur) steal from me the tithes and offerings that you^(plur) ought to bring to my temple.

tithes: This refers to the tenth part of all the crops which the people of Israel produced on their farms. According to the laws which the LORD gave to Moses, each person had to give one tenth back to the LORD. This was to supply food for the priests who did not have farms of their own because they were working in the temple. See Leviticus 27:30 and Numbers 18:21–29.

offerings: In this context the Hebrew word tǝruma which the BSB translates as offerings refers to the cereal and/or animal offerings, which also provided food for the priests.Redditt (1995), page 179.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

הֲ⁠יִקְבַּ֨ע אָדָ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים כִּ֤י אַתֶּם֙ קֹבְעִ֣ים אֹתִ֔⁠י

will,he_rob? humankind ʼElohīm that/for/because/then/when you(pl) robbing DOM=me

Yahweh is not asking the question Will a human rob God? to get information. Rather, he is asking and then answering his own question. See how you translated the similar instance in [2:15](../02/15.md). Alternate translation: [It does not seem that a human would dare to rob God, yet you are robbing me]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

וַ⁠אֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּ⁠מֶּ֣ה קְבַעֲנ֑וּ⁠ךָ

and,you(pl)_say ,how? have,we_robbed_you

If it would be clearer in your language, you could translate this so that there is not a quotation within a quotation. Alternate translation: [But you ask how you have robbed me]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

הַֽ⁠מַּעֲשֵׂ֖ר וְ⁠הַ⁠תְּרוּמָֽה

the,tithe and,the,contribution

Yahweh is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [You have robbed me in the tithe and the contribution]