Persevere in prayer, with alert minds and thankful hearts. | Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. |
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. | Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. |
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Diligent labor always yields profit, but idle conversation only leads to poverty. | Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! |
A perverse man sows strife, and a tale-bearer destroys close friendships. | A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. |
I refrained from eating any choice food, abstaining from consuming meat or wine, and I did not anoint myself until those three weeks had passed. | All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. |
Such godly sorrow results in repentance that leads to salvation and causes no regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death. | For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death. |
Because the sentence for committing an evil act is not carried out quickly, people’s hearts are prone to act wickedly. | When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. |
Repent and renounce all your transgressions. Otherwise your iniquity will prove to be your downfall. | Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! |
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vanity, but humbly regard others as better than yourselves. | Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. |
Preach the message; be persistent in doing so, whether in season or out of season; convince, reprove, and encourage, but with great patience and instruction. | Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. |
John’s clothing was made of camel’s hair, with a leather loincloth around his waist, and his food consisted of locusts and wild honey. | John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. |
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you previously, that no one who does such things will inherit the kingdom of God. | When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. |
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only delights in expressing his own opinions. | Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. |
God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, but now he commands people everywhere to repent. | God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. |
And where a single man can be overcome, two together will be able to resist. A cord with three strands is not easily broken. | A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. |
A fool spurns his father’s correction, but whoever heeds admonition is prudent. | Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. |
The prudent man perceives danger and seeks shelter, while the simple continue forward and pay the penalty. | A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. |
Are you not aware that wrongdoers will never inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, extortioners, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. | Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. |
A truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness lies incessantly. | An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies. |
The whispers of a gossiper are tasty morsels that corrode one’s inner being. | Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. |
Their eyes were opened and they realized that they were naked. They took fig leaves and sewed them together, making themselves a covering. | At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. |
For much wisdom can result in much sorrow, and those who increase their knowledge also increase their grief. | The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. |
Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of your opportunity. Let your speech always be gracious and seasoned with wisdom, so that you will know how to respond properly to all. | Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. |
I rejoice in following your statutes more than I would rejoice in endless riches. | I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. |
A gentle reply turns away wrath, but a harsh word arouses anger. | A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. |