| Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? | Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with 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 I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it 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 own friend or your father’s friend, Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away. |
| Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. | And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition 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. | And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. |
| Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. | Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. 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 anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?” says the Lord; “Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the Lord. |
| My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. | My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. |
| Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. | You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make 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 asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. |
| Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. | As free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. |
| 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 flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. |
| “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 for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. |
| 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. Even the demons believe—and tremble! |
| I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. | With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! |
| 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. | Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous 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 came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. |
| Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. | Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe 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. | Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have 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 all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. |
| 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 “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him 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. | And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. |
| 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 shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command 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 despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. |
| Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. | Therefore you shall keep My commandments, and perform them: I am the Lord. |
