Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor. | A man’s pride will bring him low, but lowly souls will rise to honor. |
In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. | A man may plan his own course, but the Lord makes his steps secure. |
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The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him. | The Lord makes a man’s steps secure when he approves of his conduct. |
As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. | Just as water reflects one’s face, so does one human heart reflect another. |
A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. | A gift opens doors for the giver and wins him access to the powerful. |
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. | For just as through the disobedience of one man the many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one man the many will be made righteous. |
A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. | A wealthy man pays a ransom to save his life; a poor man never has to worry about such threats. |
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. | Many are the plans in a human mind, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will prevail. |
The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. | The wealth of a rich man is his stronghold; he regards it as a high wall that cannot be scaled. |
Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. | The words of a wise man win favor, but a fool’s tongue is his undoing. |
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. | Blessed are you when people hate you and ostracize you, when they insult you and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. |
A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. | A man’s ways may seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart. |
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up. | Anxiety in the human heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad. |
What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. | A man’s attraction is his kindness; it is far better to be poor than to be a liar. |
See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness. | The proud man’s heart is not upright, but the righteous man will live because of his faith. |
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. | This is the end of my teaching. All has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for that is the responsibility of everyone. |
And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. | Then I came to realize that all toil and skill in work derive from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chase after the wind. |
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” | After this, he said to the crowd, “Take care to be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not depend upon an abundance of one’s possessions.” |
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. | If anyone thinks that he is religious but does not restrain his tongue, he is deceiving himself, and his religion is worthless. |
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! | However, the gift is not like the transgression. For if the transgression of one man led to the death of the many, how much greater was the overflowing effect of the grace of God and the gift of the one man Jesus Christ that has abounded for the many. |
I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. | I understand that man’s greatest happiness is to be glad and do well throughout his life. And when we eat and drink and find satisfaction in all our labors, this is a gift of God. |
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. | For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, himself a man. |
I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? | I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything impossible for me to accomplish? |
What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? | What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? |
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. | God created mankind in his image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. |