The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom, and no matter what the cost, acquire understanding. | Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. |
Acquire wisdom and gain understanding; never forget or turn aside from my words. | Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. |
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It is better to acquire wisdom rather than gold, and more desirable to acquire understanding rather than silver. | How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! |
And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, 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. |
Welcome anyone whose faith is weak, but do not get into arguments about doubts. | Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. |
Do not wear yourself out in the pursuit of wealth, and cease even to think about it. | Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. |
A wealthy man pays a ransom to save his life; a poor man never has to worry about such threats. | The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. |
The labors of the wicked man produce little profit, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. | Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. |
However, now that you have been freed from sin and bound to the service of God, the benefit you receive is sanctification, and the end is 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. |
Teach us to comprehend how few our days are so that our hearts may be filled with wisdom. | Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. |
Blessed is the person who has found wisdom, the one who has gained understanding. | Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. |
Whoever gains wisdom loves his own soul; one who cherishes understanding will prosper. | To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper. |
Everyone who seeks a prize submits himself to rigorous self-discipline in every respect. They do so to win a perishable crown, while we seek an imperishable one. | 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. |
A generous person will be enriched; he who refreshes others will also be refreshed. | The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. |
You want something that you cannot have, so you commit murder. And you covet something but cannot obtain it, so you engage in quarrels and fights. 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, rid yourselves of everything sordid and of every wicked excess, and welcome in all humility the word that is implanted in you and 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. |
Guide my steps in accord with your word and never let evil triumph over me. | Guide my steps by your word, so I will not be overcome by evil. |
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. The measure that you use for others will be used to measure 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 either to the right or to the left; keep your foot far from evil. | Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
Remember this: if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, and if you sow generously, you will reap generously as well. | 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. |
Therefore, whenever you give alms, do not trumpet your generosity, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets in order to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have already 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. |
However, those who want riches fall into temptations and are trapped into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge them 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. |
Speak out and pronounce righteous judgments; defend the rights of the wretched and the poor. | Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. |
The lips of a fool cause strife, and his mouth provokes a flogging. | Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels; they are asking for a beating. |
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but he who mingles with fools will suffer harm. | Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. |