| 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. |
| 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. |
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| 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. |
| 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. |
| Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. | Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. |
| 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. |
| Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits of another. | As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. |
| If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right. | 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. |
| No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of 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. |
| 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. |
| Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became 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! |
| As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. | Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. |
| Because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. | 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. |
| And live 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 longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs 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. |
| 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. |
| For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. | For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. |
| Welcome one another, therefore, just 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, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. | 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. |
| So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God's rest also cease from their labors as God did from his. | There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. |
