A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends. | A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends. |
He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends. | Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. |
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A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. | There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. |
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! | Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. |
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. | The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. |
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive. | Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. |
But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. | But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. |
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you 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. |
The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. | The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. |
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. | No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. |
Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near. | Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. |
The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him. | The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. |
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel. | “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” |
From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” | From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” |
Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops. | Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear! |
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. | Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. |
Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. | Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. |
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? | If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? |
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. | Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. |
But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. My foot has held fast to His steps; I have kept His way and not turned aside. | But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. |