| Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. | Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. |
| Where many words are spoken, sin is not absent, but whoever restrains his tongue is prudent. | Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. |
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| What then? Should we sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Of course not! | What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! |
| Therefore, whoever breaks even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever observes these commandments and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. | Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. |
| This water prefigured Baptism, which now saves you. It does so not by the washing away of dirt from the body but by the pledge of a good conscience given to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. | And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. |
| Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we can approach God with confidence and receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do whatever is pleasing to him. | 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. |
| And if one should fall, his companion will help him up. How pathetic is the man who is alone and falls and has no one to assist him to his feet. | If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. |
| Does it now appear to you that I am trying to gain the approval of human beings rather than the approval of God? Am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. | Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. |
| Now an intermediary is not necessary when there is only one party, and God is one. | A mediator, however, implies more than one party; but God is one. |
| Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you. Be careful in your judgments, for the Lord, our God, will not tolerate the perversion of justice, or partiality, or the taking of bribes. | Now let the fear of the Lord be on you. Judge carefully, for with the Lord our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery. |
| For the Lord loves the just, and he will not forsake his faithful ones. Those who follow evil paths will be destroyed, and the children of the wicked will be cut off. | For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. |
| Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them the path to follow. | Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. |
| A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only delights in expressing his own opinions. | Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. |
| Although we are human beings, we do not engage in battle according to human standards. | For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. |
| A cheerful heart is excellent medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. | A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. |
| A wealthy man pays a ransom to save his life; a poor man never has to worry about such threats. | A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. |
| Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you previously, that no one who does such things will inherit the kingdom of God. | The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. |
| As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. | As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. |
| But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Your almsgiving must be done in secret. And your Father who sees everything that is done in secret will reward you. | But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. |
| Who then can separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? | Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? |
| The labors of the wicked man produce little profit, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. | A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. |
| For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but rather a spirit of power and of love and of wisdom. | For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. |
| No one who conceals his transgressions will prosper, but one who confesses and renounces them will obtain mercy. | Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. |
| Repent and renounce all your transgressions. Otherwise your iniquity will prove to be your downfall. | Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. |
| Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. Even the hairs on your head have all been counted. Do not be afraid. You are worth far more than any number of sparrows. | Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. |
