| So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received 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. |
| But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. | But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. |
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| Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. | 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. |
| Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. | Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. |
| Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? | And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? |
| But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. | But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. |
| Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. | 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. |
| Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. | Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! |
| Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. | 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. |
| Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. | Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. |
| 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. |
| Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? | Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? |
| Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” | Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” |
| Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise 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. |
| For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. | The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil. |
| Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. | Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. |
| When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are filled with schemes to do wrong. | When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. |
| I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; 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 merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. | But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. |
| Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for 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. |
| Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not 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! |
| Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. | Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
| If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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 or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. | 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. |
| I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! | 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. |
