Do not let anyone lead you astray. “Bad company corrupts good morals.” | Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” |
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. However, the face of the Lord is set against those who do evil. | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. |
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However, if we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all wrongdoing. | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. |
Blessed are you when people hate you and ostracize you, when they insult you and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. | Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. |
Therefore, put on the armor of God, so that you will be able to hold fast on the evil day and to hold your ground with all your strength. | Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. |
For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disharmony and every type of wickedness. | For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. |
He reveals deep and hidden mysteries and knows what lies in the darkness, for light dwells with him. | He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him. |
Deceit is in the heart of those who plot evil, but those who counsel peace have joy. | Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy. |
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the bad times come and the years draw near when you will say, “I take no pleasure in them”. | Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them”. |
The Lord then said, “Very well. All that he has is in your power. However, you may not lay a hand upon him.” So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord. | The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord. |
As servants of God, behave as free people, but do not use your freedom as a means to cover up wrongdoing. | Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. |
Now who is going to harm you if you are eager to do what is right? | Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? |
The love of money is the root of all evils, and in their desire for it some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many serious wounds. | For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. |
Then keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. | Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. |
Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the prophets of that time proclaimed. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Forsake your evil ways and your evil deeds. But they refused to listen or to pay attention to me, says the Lord. | Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. |
Do not swerve either to the right or to the left; keep your foot far from evil. | Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. |
All you need to do is to say ‘Yes’ if you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ if you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one. | All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. |
Take care, brethren, that none of you will ever have an evil and unbelieving heart that will cause you to forsake the living God. | See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. |
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and utter all kinds of calumnies against you for my sake. | Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. |
Love does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. | Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. |
You have already been cleansed by the word I have spoken to you. | You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. |
The Lord God said, “Behold, man has become like one of us, for he has knowledge of that which is good and that which is evil. Now, we must prevent him from reaching out and taking the fruit of the tree of life lest he eat it and live forever.” The Lord God cast him out of the Garden of Eden; henceforth he was to labor tilling the soil from which he had come. | And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. |
Because the sentence for committing an evil act is not carried out quickly, people’s hearts are prone to act wickedly. | When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. |
Turn away from youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart. | Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. |
Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness clothing you, and with your feet shod in zeal to proclaim the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold in your hand the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. | Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. |