The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. | The Lord makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up. |
God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights. | The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. |
|
Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. | Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. |
So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. | So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. |
The blessing of the Lord makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. | The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. |
A wise child makes a glad father, but a foolish child is a mother's grief. | A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. |
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters. | The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. |
Anxiety weighs down the human heart, but a good word cheers it up. | Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. |
A gift opens doors; it gives access to the great. | Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! |
Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. | Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. |
For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. | Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. |
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 adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. |
Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way. | The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. |
Lying lips conceal hatred, and whoever utters slander is a fool. | Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. |
What is desirable in a person is loyalty, and it is better to be poor than a liar. | Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. |
Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but those who gather little by little will increase it. | Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. |
And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. | And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. |
Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. | Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. |
The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps. | We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. |
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. | Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. |
A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones. | A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. |
Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. | Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. |
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. | And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. |
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever follows perverse ways will be found out. | People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. |
Those who guard their mouths preserve their lives; those who open wide their lips come to ruin. | Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. |