| How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! | Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to live together in unity! |
| Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. | Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him. |
| 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, And one who rules his spirit, than one who captures a city. |
| A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. | One who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, But one who is trustworthy conceals a matter. |
| Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. | Certainly the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret 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. | And like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect 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.” | And He was saying, “That which comes out of the person, that is what defiles the person. For from within, out of the hearts of people, come the evil thoughts, acts of sexual immorality, thefts, murders, acts of adultery, deeds of greed, wickedness, deceit, indecent behavior, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile the 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 for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. |
| Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. | What is desirable in a person is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor person 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. | The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. |
| 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 one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate 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 is not to go out with the army, nor be assigned any duty; he shall be free at home for one year and shall make his wife whom he has taken happy. |
| 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 love of the brothers and sisters continue. Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by 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 worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. |
| A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. | A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a 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, and how bones are formed in the womb of the pregnant woman, so you do not know the activity of God who makes everything. |
| Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. | Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak, For the rights of all the unfortunate. |
| 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, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. |
| Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. | I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a person and his neighbor. This too is futility and striving after wind. |
| Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! | A person’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great people. |
| 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 makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious live in parched lands. |
| When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. | Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of mankind among them are fully given 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. | Do not abandon your friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away. |
| 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. | Your adornment must not be merely the external—braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel; but it should be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. |
| I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. | Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. |
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