| Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase. | Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. |
| Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another. | Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. |
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| Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. | Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. |
| And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. | 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.” |
| A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. | Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly. |
| Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. | Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. |
| Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. | For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. |
| A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. | Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. |
| An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
| A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. | A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. |
| A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies. | An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies. |
| Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually. | Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. |
| And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. | The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these. |
| For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. | After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. |
| For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. | For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. |
| Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. | Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. |
| Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. | Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses. |
| But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. | Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. |
| Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. | That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. |
| Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? | Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? |
| But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. | But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! |
| When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. | When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. |
| Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? | Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? |
| But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. | But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. |
| And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. | Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. |
