| How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! | See how good and how pleasant 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. | Let your beauty come not from the outward adorning of braiding your hair, and of wearing gold ornaments or of putting on fine clothing, but from the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God’s sight. |
| Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. | The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious; but a fool is swallowed by his own lips. |
| Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. | One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; one who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city. |
| A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. | One who brings gossip betrays a confidence, but one who is of a trustworthy spirit is one who keeps a secret. |
| Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. | Surely the Lord Yahweh will do nothing, unless he reveals his secret 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. | As newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow. |
| 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.” | He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile the man.” |
| 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. | Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal. |
| Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. | That which makes a man to be desired is his kindness. A poor man is better than 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 the matter. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. |
| 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? | For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? |
| 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. | When a man takes a new wife, he shall not go out in the army, neither shall he be assigned any business. He shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer his wife whom he has taken. |
| Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. | Being eager to keep the unity of the Spirit in 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 brotherly love continue. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for in doing so, 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. | Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient. |
| A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. | A wise son makes a glad father; but a foolish son brings 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. | As you don’t know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don’t know the work of God who does all. |
| Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. | Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate. |
| Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. | Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. |
| 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 saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. |
| Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! | A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. |
| 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. | God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land. |
| When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. | Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. |
| 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. | Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend. Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster. A neighbor who is near is better than a distant brother. |
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.