The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. | Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. |
Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. | Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. |
|
How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. | How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! |
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. | Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. |
Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me. | Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. |
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name. | What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord. |
Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. | Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. |
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. | But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. |
The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat. | The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. |
The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward. | Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. |
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding. | Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. |
Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good. | To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. |
Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. | All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. |
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. | The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. |
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. | Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. |
You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. | You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. |
Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. | So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. |
Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. | Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. |
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. | Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. | Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. |
Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. | When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. |
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. | But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. |
Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. | Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. |
A fool's lips walk into a fight, and his mouth invites a beating. | Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. |
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. | Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. |