Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor. | Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. |
For he will repay according to each one's deeds. | He will judge everyone according to what they have done. |
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But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. | But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. |
For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his faithful ones. The righteous shall be kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. | For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die. |
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. | Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. |
All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart. | People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. |
But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. | Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. |
For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever. | Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. |
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. | The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. |
To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. | The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. |
But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated. | But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. |
So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. | So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. |
See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. | See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. |
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. |
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. | And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. |
And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. | And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. |
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly. | For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. |
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday. | Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. |
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers. | Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. |
Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. | Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life. |
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. | God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. |
The wicked earn no real gain, but those who sow righteousness get a true reward. | Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. |
If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. | And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! |
It is a snare for one to say rashly, “It is holy,” and begin to reflect only after making a vow. | Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. |
With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. | I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. |