How much more valuable then is a person than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. | And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath. |
So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, so that they will be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. | When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. |
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So then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober. | So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. |
Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor, Obtain justice for the orphan, Plead for the widow’s case. | Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. |
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. | Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. |
Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned. | Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. |
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. | Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. |
Do not weary yourself to gain wealth; Stop dwelling on it. | Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. |
But if we hope for what we do not see, through perseverance we wait eagerly for it. | But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. |
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” | Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” |
Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful. | I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. |
Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. | All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. |
Behold, happy is the person whom God disciplines, So do not reject the discipline of the Almighty. | But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. |
So you shall keep My commandments, and do them; I am the Lord. | You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord. |
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. | You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. |
Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. | Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! |
I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. | Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. |
Do not turn to the right or to the left; Turn your foot from evil. | Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
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. | 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. |
Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. | Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. |
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly. | I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. |
And the Lord is the One who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed. | Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. |
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. | When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. |
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. | So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. |
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. | Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. |