| Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. | Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. |
| 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 will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. |
|
| You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. | You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that 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. | That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has 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. | So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance 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. | Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. |
| The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit. | Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful 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. | You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live. |
| 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, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt. |
| Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. | For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. |
| Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. | Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight. |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. | Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise. |
| 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. | Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good. |
| To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless. | To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. |
| Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. | People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. |
| The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” | Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” |
| With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
| “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. | And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. |
| 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. | In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. |
| The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him. | The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. |
| A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. | Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. |
| So that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. | Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other. |
| Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. | Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of 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. | I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. |
