A perverse person spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. | A perverse man sows strife, and a tale-bearer destroys close friendships. |
Proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. | 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. |
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As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. | As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. |
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. | Persevere in prayer, with alert minds and thankful hearts. |
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on 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. |
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing personal opinion. | A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only delights in expressing his own opinions. |
For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow. | For much wisdom can result in much sorrow, and those who increase their knowledge also increase their grief. |
Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. | Remain sober and alert, for your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. |
All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers. | All of these were constantly engaged in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. |
Bear fruit worthy of repentance. | Produce good fruit as proof of your repentance. |
Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one's nearest kin. | Some friends can lead us to ruin, but a true friend is closer than a brother. |
Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. | Blessed is the one whose offense is forgiven, whose sin is erased. |
Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God, instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. | Therefore, let us leave behind the basic teaching about Christ and advance toward maturity. We must not be forever laying the foundation: repentance for actions that lead to death, faith in God, instruction about baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. |
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death. | Such godly sorrow results in repentance that leads to salvation and causes no regret, whereas worldly sorrow produces death. |
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. | They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers. |
Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down 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. |
The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. | The explanation of your words gives light and imparts understanding to the simple. |
Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. | Repent and renounce all your transgressions. Otherwise your iniquity will prove to be your downfall. |
And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces 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. |
Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. | Be joyful in your hope. Be patient in times of affliction. Persevere in prayer. |
Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. | Over all these put on love, which is the bond of perfection. |
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do 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. |
A fool's lips bring strife, and a fool's mouth invites a flogging. | The lips of a fool cause strife, and his mouth provokes a flogging. |
And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. 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. |
We have sinned and done wrong, acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and ordinances. | We have sinned and done what is wrong, we have acted wickedly and rebelled, we have rejected your commandments and your laws. |