Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. | Persevere in prayer, with alert minds and thankful hearts. |
Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. | Be joyful in your hope. Be patient in times of affliction. Persevere in prayer. |
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But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. | In view of all this, you should make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with piety, and piety with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. |
For in much wisdom is much grief, And he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. | For much wisdom can result in much sorrow, and those who increase their knowledge also increase their grief. |
Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. | Let mutual love continue, and do not forget to offer hospitality to strangers, for by doing this some have entertained angels without knowing it. |
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken. | And where a single man can be overcome, two together will be able to resist. A cord with three strands is not easily broken. |
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering. | As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. |
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent. | God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, but now he commands people everywhere to repent. |
A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent. | A fool spurns his father’s correction, but whoever heeds admonition is prudent. |
Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid. | Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but the one who hates correction is stupid. |
I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. | 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. |
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. | Blessed is the one whose offense is forgiven, whose sin is erased. |
And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. | They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers. |
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. | 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. |
Excellent speech is not becoming to a fool, Much less lying lips to a prince. | Fine words are not becoming to a fool, and much less are false words to a noble. |
He must increase, but I must decrease. | He must increase; I must decrease. |
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. | But Jesus has now received a ministry that is far superior, for he is the mediator of a far better covenant that has been established on better promises. |
Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. | Although it was our afflictions that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, we thought of him as stricken, as struck down by God and afflicted. |
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. | And not only that, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we realize that suffering develops perseverance, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. |
Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. | And learn to do good. Pursue justice and rescue the oppressed; listen to the plea of the orphan and defend the widow. |
A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. | A perverse man sows strife, and a tale-bearer destroys close friendships. |
You, O Lord, remain forever; Your throne from generation to generation. | But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from age to age. |
The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. | The explanation of your words gives light and imparts understanding to the simple. |
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. | The heavens proclaim the glory of God; the firmament shows forth the work of his hands. One day imparts that message to the next, and night conveys that knowledge to night. |
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey. | Rejoice with all your heart, O daughter Zion. Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem. See, your king is coming to you, triumphant and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. |