A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. | A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. |
Do not forsake your friend and your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is 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. |
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He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. | Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty. |
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. | One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. |
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. | Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. |
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself 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. |
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. | As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. |
He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend. | 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 it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us. | And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness. |
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. | Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. |
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. | Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. |
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. | For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. |
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes 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. |
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. | I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. |
Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. | Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. |
Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. | Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. |
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. |
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. | As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. |
But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. | But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. |
Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! |
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. | For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. |
For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. | For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. |
Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. | Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. |
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. | Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. |
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. | If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. |