Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins 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 open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is 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. |
|
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. | 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 when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you 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 take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. | 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 disorder and wickedness of every kind. | For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. |
He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and 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 mind of those who plan 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 days of trouble come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have 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 said to Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So Satan went out 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, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. | Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. |
Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? | Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? |
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. | 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. |
Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. | Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. |
Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.” But they did not hear or heed 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 to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. | Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. |
Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than 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, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from 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 revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. | Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. |
It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It 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 that I have spoken to you. | You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. |
Then the Lord God said, “See, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. | 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 sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the human heart is fully set to do evil. | When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. |
Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from 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 therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take 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. |