Do not let anyone lead you astray. “Bad company corrupts good morals.” | Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” |
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. | Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. |
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Observe your father’s command, my son, and do not reject your mother’s teaching. | My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. |
But if we hope for what we do not yet see, then we wait for it with patience. | But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. |
Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A person will reap only what he sows. | Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. |
Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn, and yet God feeds them. You are of far greater importance than birds. | Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! |
Do not judge, so that you in turn may not be judged. | Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. |
Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not demand the return of what is yours from the one who has taken it. | Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. |
Fear not, little flock, for your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom. | So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. |
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. | Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. |
For I, the Lord, am your God and I grasp your right hand. It is I who say to you, Do not fear; I will help you. | For I hold you by your right hand— I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.’ |
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. | So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. |
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vanity, but humbly regard others as better than yourselves. | Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. |
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in the knowledge that the spirits are subject to you. Rejoice rather that your names are inscribed in heaven. | But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven. |
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. |
So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own. | So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. |
O Lord, do not withhold your mercy from me; may your kindness and your truth keep me safe forever. | Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. |
Come to your senses and sin no more. For some of you have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. | Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all. |
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 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. |
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. | My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. |
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy for all the people.” | But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” |
So if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out there. If they say, ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For just as lightning comes from the east and is visible even in the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. | So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. |
Yet even if you should suffer for doing what is right, you are thereby blessed. Have no fear of others, and refuse to be intimidated by them. | But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. |
It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and refuse to submit again to the yoke of slavery. | So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. |
As long as the goodwill is present, the gift will be acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. | Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. |