| But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. | But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. |
| A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. | A gossip goes around telling secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence. |
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| For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you. | The Lord your God will bless you as he has promised. You will lend money to many nations but will never need to borrow. You will rule many nations, but they will not rule over you. |
| Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. | Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. |
| But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ | But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ |
| But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. | But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. |
| Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. | Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. |
| The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. | The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing. |
| But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. | As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. |
| A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son brings grief to his mother. | A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. |
| Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. | Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God. |
| A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. | The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. |
| 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. |
| But I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. | I have been the Lord your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt. You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior. |
| Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. | Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. |
| For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. | For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! |
| The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. | Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. |
| Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. | To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. |
| The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. | So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. |
| So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. | So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. |
| A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. | Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. |
| For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. | For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. |
| A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. | Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. |
| What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! | Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! |
| The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. | The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. |
