| Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one's nearest kin. | One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. |
| A friend loves at all times, and kinsfolk are born to share adversity. | A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. |
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| Do not forsake your friend or the friend of your parent; do not go to the house of your kindred in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is nearby than kindred who are far away. | 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. |
| Those who withhold kindness from a friend forsake the fear of the Almighty. | Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. |
| Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. | 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. |
| One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend. | Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. |
| Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another. | As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. |
| A perverse person spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. | A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. |
| No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. | Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. |
| Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors. | 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. |
| And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. | After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. |
| Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. | 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. |
| Do not envy the violent and do not choose any of their ways; for the perverse are an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. | Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. |
| Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. | Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. |
| Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. | Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. |
| But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. | 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. |
| Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” | 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. |
| But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. | 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. |
| My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. | Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. |
| Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? | 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? |
| Beloved, do not believe 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, 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, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases 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. |
| Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and of spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God. | 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. |
| With their mouths the godless would destroy their neighbors, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. | With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. |
| For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. | For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! |
