| Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? | 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? |
| But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. | 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. |
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| Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away. | 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. |
| Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. | Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. |
| Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. | Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather seek to expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of what deeds people do in secret. |
| Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. | Wash yourselves and become clean; remove your evil deeds far from my sight. Cease to do evil. |
| “Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. | Can someone hide in a secret place so that I cannot see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? |
| My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. | Observe your father’s command, my son, and do not reject your mother’s teaching. |
| Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. | Do not make gods from silver or from gold instead of me. You will not make them for yourselves. |
| Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. | Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not demand the return of what is yours from the one who has taken it. |
| Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. | As servants of God, behave as free people, but do not use your freedom as a means to cover up wrongdoing. |
| For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. | 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. |
| “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. | “All things are lawful,” you may say—but not all things are beneficial. All things may be lawful—but not all things are constructive. |
| You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. | You believe that there is one God. You do well to assert that. But even the demons believe and tremble. |
| I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. | I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your precepts. |
| So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. | 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. |
| Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. | Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. |
| Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. | Do not let your hearts be troubled. You place your trust in God. Trust also in me. |
| When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. | Whenever you fast, do not assume a gloomy expression like the hypocrites who contort their faces so that others may realize that they are fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. |
| “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. | “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not allow myself to be dominated by anything. |
| For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.” | 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.” |
| Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. | 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. |
| Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you. | You will not add to what I command you, nor will you take away from it, so that you might observe the commandments of the Lord, your God, that I am giving you. |
| My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. | My son, do not ignore the Lord’s discipline or refuse to accept his rebuke. For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, just as a father chastises a beloved son. |
| Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. | You shall observe my commandments and obey them. I am the Lord. |
