| When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable, But one who restrains his lips is wise. | Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. |
| What then? Are we to sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Far from it! | Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! |
| Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. | So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. |
| And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding as well? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the person from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thereby He declared all foods clean.) | “Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) |
| The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. | The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. |
| For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up! | If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. |
| And may the Lord cause you to increase and overflow in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you. | And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. |
| Now a mediator is not for one party only; but God is only one. | Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. |
| Now then, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; be careful about what you do, for the Lord our God will have no part in injustice or partiality, or in the taking of a bribe. | Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes. |
| The Lord is good and upright; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. | The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. |
| You shall not oppress any widow or orphan. If you oppress him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will assuredly hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. | You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless. |
| Unless the Lord builds a house, They who build it labor in vain; Unless the Lord guards a city, The watchman stays awake in vain. | Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. |
| For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh. | We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. |
| As in water a face reflects the face, So the heart of a person reflects the person. | As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. |
| A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. | A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. |
| The ransom of a person’s life is his wealth, But the poor hears no rebuke. | The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. |
| And faithfulness is Yours, Lord, For You reward a person according to his work. | Unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done. |
| As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our wrongdoings from us. | He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. |
| But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your charitable giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. | But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. |
| Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? | Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? |
| A wicked person earns deceptive wages, But one who sows righteousness gets a true reward. | Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. |
| For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. | For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. |
| One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper, But one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion. | People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy. |
| Are five sparrows not sold for two assaria? And yet not one of them has gone unnoticed in the sight of God. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not fear; you are more valuable than a great number of sparrows. | What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. |
| Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. | 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. |
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