| How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! | How wonderful and delightful it is for brothers to live together in unity. |
| Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. | Do not seek to adorn yourself externally—by the braiding of your hair and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothing. Rather, let your adornment be of your inner self, the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. |
| Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. | The words of a wise man win favor, but a fool’s tongue is his undoing. |
| Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. | It is better to be a patient man rather than a warrior, one who controls his temper rather than one who captures a city. |
| A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. | One who gossips reveals secrets, but a trustworthy man keeps things hidden. |
| Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. | Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. |
| Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment. | Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may advance on the path to salvation. |
| And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” | Then he went on, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For from within, from the human heart, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from within, and they defile a person.” |
| Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. | Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where they will be destroyed by moth and rust and where thieves break in and steal. Rather, store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves cannot break in and steal. |
| Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. | A man’s attraction is his kindness; it is far better to be poor than to be a liar. |
| That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. | This is the end of my teaching. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for that is the responsibility of everyone. |
| But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? | Which one of you, intending to build a tower, would not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has sufficient funds for its completion? |
| A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married. | If a man has recently been married, he is not to go off to battle nor have any other duty laid on him. He will be free to stay at home for one year so that he can bring happiness to the wife whom he has married. |
| Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. | Make every possible effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. |
| Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it! | Let mutual love continue, and do not forget to offer hospitality to strangers, for by doing this some have entertained angels without knowing it. |
| So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. | So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own. |
| A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. | A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son gives grief to his mother. |
| Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. | Just as you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a woman’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, the Creator of all. |
| Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. | Speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, and defend the rights of the destitute. |
| Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. | Bear with one another, and forgive one another if anyone has reason to be offended with another. You must forgive just as the Lord has forgiven you. |
| Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. | Then I came to realize that all toil and skill in work derive from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chase after the wind. |
| Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! | A gift opens doors for the giver and wins him access to the powerful. |
| God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. | He gives a home to those who are forsaken and leads out prisoners amid chants of exultation, while rebels are forced to live in an arid land. |
| When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. | Because the sentence for committing an evil act is not carried out quickly, people’s hearts are prone to act wickedly. |
| Never abandon a friend— either yours or your father’s. When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away. | Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your father, and do not run to your brother’s house when troubles befall you; far better is a friend nearby than a brother who is far away. |
Related topics
Neighbor
The second is equally...
Friendship
A friend is always...
Family
And you must commit...
Speaking
The tongue can bring...
Peace
May the LORD bless...
Reliability
But the Lord is...
Bible verse of the day
I can never escape from your Spirit!I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.