| A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. | A true friend is one at all times, and a brother is born to render help in time of need. |
| 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 friend or the friend of your father, and do not run to your brother’s house when troubles befall you; far better is a friend nearby than a brother who is far away. |
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| One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. | Some friends can lead us to ruin, but a true friend is closer than a brother. |
| Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. | One who despairs should have the support of his friends even if he has forsaken the fear of the Almighty. |
| You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. | Adulterers! Do you not know that love of the world results in enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God. |
| As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. | As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the wits of his neighbor. |
| Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. | Beloved, I pray that everything is going well with you and that your bodily health is equal to that of your soul. |
| The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others. | The one who leads a blameless life and does what is right, who speaks the truth from the heart and does not slander anyone, who does not harm a friend and does not scorn a neighbor. |
| Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. | One who forgives a misdeed fosters friendship, but he who divulges it separates good friends. |
| Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. | Beloved, since God loved us so much, we should love one another. |
| Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. | No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. |
| A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. | A perverse man sows strife, and a tale-bearer destroys close friendships. |
| After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. | Thereupon the Lord restored the prosperity of Job after he had prayed for his friends, and he enriched him with twice as much as he had possessed before. |
| Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. | Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. |
| But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. | But do not ignore this one fact, beloved: with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. |
| Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. | Dearly beloved, never seek revenge. Leave that to the time of retribution. For it is written, “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. I will repay.” |
| Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. | Beloved, do not trust every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. | Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from anything that can defile flesh or spirit, and thereby make our holiness perfect in the fear of God. |
| But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. | However, you, dear friends, must build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God as you await our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy, who will grant you eternal life. |
| Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. | You must understand, brethren, that it is through him that forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you. All those who believe are justified from all the things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses. |
| Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. | Beloved, we are God’s children now. What we shall be has not yet been revealed. However, we do know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he really is. Everyone who has this hope in him keeps himself pure, just as he is pure. |
