You believe that there is one God. You do well to assert that. But even the demons believe and tremble. | 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. |
Jesus answered them, “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to this fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be accomplished.” | Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.” |
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Do not swerve either to the right or to the left; keep your foot far from evil. | Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
He said to them in reply, “Anyone who has two coats must share with the person who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” | John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” |
But to those of you who are listening to me, I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. | But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. |
Therefore, keep watch, for you do not know the day when your Lord is coming. | So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. |
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. | 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. |
Then he took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which will be given for you. Do this in memory of me.” | He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” |
Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A person will reap only what he sows. | Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. |
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. | Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. |
Do not assert that the past was better than the present, for such a statement is not a sign of wisdom. | Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise. |
Do not be afraid or dismayed, the Lord will go before you; he will not fail or forsake you. | 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. |
Do not associate with unbelievers. For what basis can there be for a partnership between righteousness and lawlessness? What do light and darkness have in common? | Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? |
Because the sentence for committing an evil act is not carried out quickly, people’s hearts are prone to act wickedly. | When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. |
I have given you a command. Be strong and brave, do not be afraid nor dismayed. I, the Lord, your God, will be with you wherever you go. | This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. |
If you know me, then you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him. You have seen him. | If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him! |
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God who has marked you with his seal for the day of redemption. | And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. |
Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render fair judgments, and show kindness and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor. Do not plot evil in your heart against one another. | This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other. |
Can someone hide in a secret place so that I cannot see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? | “Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord. |
Live in harmony with one another. Do not consider yourself to be better than others, but associate with the lowly, and never be conceited. | 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! |
But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. | But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. |
But what I tell you is this: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, since it is God’s throne, or by earth, since that is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King. | But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. |
Do you suppose that I cannot appeal to my Father for help and he will not immediately send me more than twelve legions of angels? | Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? |
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. | Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. |
Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your father, and do not run to your brother’s house when troubles befall you; far better is a friend nearby than a brother who is far away. | Never abandon a friend— either yours or your father’s. When disaster strikes, you won’t have to ask your brother for assistance. It’s better to go to a neighbor than to a brother who lives far away. |