“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord. | But in that coming day no weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. These benefits are enjoyed by the servants of the Lord; their vindication will come from me. I, the Lord, have spoken! |
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. | The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. |
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Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. | Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. |
Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. | Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. |
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. | Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. |
Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. | Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. |
But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream. | Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. |
Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. | Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. |
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” | This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” |
Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path. | Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. |
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. | You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. |
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. | Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. |
Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people. | Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. |
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. | God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. |
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? | No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. |
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. | The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil. |
Better is a little with righteousness, Than vast revenues without justice. | Better to have little, with godliness, than to be rich and dishonest. |
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. | For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. |
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. | No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. |
Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? | Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? |
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference. | But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. |
The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
For the Lord is our Judge, The Lord is our Lawgiver, The Lord is our King; He will save us. | For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. |
He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. | He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. |
In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Your righteousness. | O Lord, I have come to you for protection; don’t let me be disgraced. Save me, for you do what is right. |