13 “Your words against me have been strong,” says Jehovah.
And you say: “How have we spoken against you among ourselves?”+
14 “You say, ‘It is of no value to serve God.+ How have we benefited by keeping our obligations to him and by walking somberly before Jehovah of armies? 15 Now we consider presumptuous people happy. Also, those who practice wickedness are successful.+ They dare to put God to the test and get away with it.’”
16 At that time those who fear Jehovah spoke with one another, each one with his companion, and Jehovah kept paying attention and listening. And a book of remembrance was written before him+ for those fearing Jehovah and for those meditating on his name.+
17 “And they will be mine,”+ says Jehovah of armies, “in the day when I produce a special property.+ I will show them compassion, just as a man shows compassion to his son who serves him.+ 18 And you will again see the distinction between a righteous person and a wicked person,+ between one serving God and one not serving him.”