| My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. | Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. |
| The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them. | The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. |
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| To do righteousness and justice Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. | To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. |
| If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. | If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. |
| Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. | Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. |
| Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. | Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. |
| Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. | Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. |
| A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. | A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. |
| Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice. | Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. |
| Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. | Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. |
| But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. | But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. |
| Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. | Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. |
| Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. | The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy. |
| Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, But righteousness delivers from death. | Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value, but righteousness delivers from death. |
| But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. | Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. |
| A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. | Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. |
| No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light. | No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. |
| Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. | Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. |
| Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. | Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. |
| For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. | There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. |
| For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. | This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. |
| But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” | Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” |
| Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes. | Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. |
