"A son honors his father and a servant his master. So if I'm a father, where is my honor? And if I'm a master, where is my respect?" says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies to you priests who are despising my name. "But you ask, "How have we despised your name?'

"But you are profaning my name by saying that the Table of the LORD is defiled and that its fruit and its food are contemptible.

"If you don't listen, and if you don't choose to give honor to my name," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "then I'll curse both you and your blessings. I've even cursed them already, because none of you are taking it to heart.

"So I also made you despised, humiliating you before all of the people, because you aren't following my ways and are showing partiality when you teach."

"You have wearied the LORD with your words. You ask, "How have we wearied you?' By your saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD and he's pleased with them,' or "Where is the God of justice?'"

"Watch out! I'm sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly, the LORD you are looking for will come to his Temple. He is the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Watch out! He is coming!" says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.

"Because I the LORD don't change; therefore you children of Jacob aren't destroyed."

"Will a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you ask, "How are we robbing you?' "By the tithe and the offering.

You are cursed under the curse the entire nation because you are robbing me!