The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight. | Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding. |
Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. | Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth. |
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How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. | How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! Yes, to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. |
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist. | Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint. |
And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name. | Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. |
Wealth is a ransom for a person's life, but the poor get no threats. | The ransom of a man’s life is his riches, but the poor hear no threats. |
Happy are those who find wisdom, and those who get understanding. | Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding. |
The wicked earn no real gain, but those who sow righteousness get a true reward. | Wicked people earn deceitful wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. |
To get wisdom is to love oneself; to keep understanding is to prosper. | He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good. |
A generous person will be enriched, and one who gives water will get water. | The liberal soul shall be made fat. He who waters shall be watered also himself. |
But now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. | But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification and the result of eternal life. |
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. | Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you measure it will be measured back to you. |
So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart. | So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. |
Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. | Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. |
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. | Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. |
You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. | You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask. |
Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. | Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. |
Keep my steps steady according to your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me. | Establish my footsteps in your word. Don’t let any iniquity have dominion over me. |
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. | Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil. |
The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. | Remember this: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. |
So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. | Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. |
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. | But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. |
Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. | Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy. |
A fool's lips bring strife, and a fool's mouth invites a flogging. | A fool’s lips come into strife, and his mouth invites beatings. |
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools suffers harm. | One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm. |