Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. | Persevere in prayer, with alert minds and thankful hearts. |
And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. | And God is able to enrich you with an abundance of every grace, so that, with all of your needs provided for, you may be able to produce a surplus of good works. |
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You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. | You are the light of the world. A city built upon a mountain cannot be hidden. |
However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”— the things God has prepared for those who love him. | For as it is written, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has the human heart imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” |
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. | Therefore, brethren, be diligent in providing a firm foundation for your call and election. If you do this, you will never stumble, and you will receive a glorious welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. | Pleasing words are like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and affording health to the body. |
The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. | A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but an undisciplined tongue crushes the spirit. |
There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord. | For six days work can be done, but the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, a holy assembly. You will do no work on it; it is a Sabbath of the Lord in all of your dwellings. |
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly 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. |
Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. | As servants of God, behave as free people, but do not use your freedom as a means to cover up wrongdoing. |
Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. | Your statutes are my everlasting heritage; they are the very joy of my heart. |
He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” | 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.” |
Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. | An ignorant man causes strife by his insolence, but wisdom is found with those who take advice. |
For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. | For the carved images of the nations are powerless; they are nothing more than wood cut from a forest, fashioned with a knife by craftsmen and embellished with silver and gold. Then they are fastened with hammers and nails to prevent them from toppling. Like scarecrows in a cucumber field they are unable to speak, and they must be carried from place to place since they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they can do no harm, nor do they have any power to do good. |
To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless. | To the loyal, you show yourself to be loyal; to the blameless, you show yourself to be blameless. |
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. | Anyone who leads an honorable life walks in safety, but whoever pursues wicked ways will be found out. |
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” | And the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I wish to make another creature who will be like him.” |
With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. | With his mouth the godless man seeks to ruin his neighbor, but knowledge enables the righteous to be delivered. |
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. | If you are angry, do not sin. Do not let the sun set on your anger, and do not give the devil an opening. |
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. | Likewise, you who are husbands must show consideration for your wives in your life together. Treat your wife with respect, for even though she is the weaker partner, she is also an equal heir of God’s gift of life. Thus, your prayers will not be hindered in any way. |
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. | The Lord is good, an unfailing refuge in a time of distress. He takes care of those who place their trust in him. |
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. | An honorable name is more to be desired than great riches, and high esteem is preferable to silver and gold. |
So that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. | In that way, I can come to you in joy, if God so wills, and be refreshed together with you. |
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. | Therefore, while we have the opportunity, let us labor for the good of all, but especially for those members of the household of the faith. |
For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. | Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single letter, not even a tiny portion of a letter, will disappear from the Law until all things have been accomplished. |