| Do not be lacking in zeal, but serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. | Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. |
| Be on your guard that you do not lose what we have worked to accomplish so that you will receive your reward in full. | Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. |
| Observe your father’s command, my son, and do not reject your mother’s teaching. | My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. |
| For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit, and those of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh. They are in conflict with one another, so that you cannot do what you want. | The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. |
| Do not repay evil with evil or abuse with abuse. On the contrary, repay with a blessing. This is what you were called to do, so that you might inherit a blessing. | Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. |
| As servants of God, behave as free people, but do not use your freedom as a means to cover up wrongdoing. | For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. |
| Therefore, while we have the opportunity, let us labor for the good of all, but especially for those members of the household of the faith. | Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. |
| When Jesus heard this, he said, “Do not be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be saved.” | But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.” |
| Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not demand the return of what is yours from the one who has taken it. | Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. |
| I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your precepts. | I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. |
| The Lord has told you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? Only this: to do what is right, to show mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. | No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. |
| Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. | Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. |
| Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and give you help, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. | Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. |
| Go, and assemble all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same thing. After that, I will go to the king—against the law. And if I perish, I perish! | Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die. |
| For: “If anyone wishes to love life and to experience good days, he must restrain his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn away from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.” | For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” |
| Do the things that you have learned, received, and heard from me and that you saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. | Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. |
| You shall observe my commandments and obey them. I am the Lord. | You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord. |
| Let us never grow weary in doing what is right, for if we do not give up, we will reap our harvest in due time. | So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. |
| Do not let your hearts be troubled. You place your trust in God. Trust also in me. | Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. |
| Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where they will be destroyed by moth and rust and where thieves break in and steal. Rather, store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves cannot break in and steal. | Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. |
| Do you not realize that you are God’s temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? | Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? |
| For six days work can be done, but the seventh is a Sabbath of rest, a holy assembly. You will do no work on it; it is a Sabbath of the Lord in all of your dwellings. | 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. |
| And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. | And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. |
| Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of them, for the Lord, your God, is going forth with you. He will never leave you or abandon you. | So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. |
| For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in every respect as we are, but without sinning. | This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. |
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