Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor. | A person’s pride will bring him low, But a humble spirit will obtain honor. |
Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. | For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. |
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We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. | The mind of a person plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. |
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. | The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way. |
As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. | As in water a face reflects the face, So the heart of a person reflects the person. |
Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people! | A person’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great people. |
The rich can pay a ransom for their lives, but the poor won’t even get threatened. | The ransom of a person’s life is his wealth, But the poor hears no rebuke. |
You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail. | Many plans are in a person’s heart, But the advice of the Lord will stand. |
The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. | A rich person’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. |
Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. | Words from the mouth of a wise person are gracious, while the lips of a fool consume him. |
What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. | Blessed are you when the people hate you, and when they exclude you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man. |
People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. | Every person’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord examines the hearts. |
Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. | Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad. |
Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. | What is desirable in a person is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor person than a liar. |
Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. | Behold, as for the impudent one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous one will live by his faith. |
That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. | The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. |
Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. | I have seen that every labor and every skill which is done is the result of rivalry between a person and his neighbor. This too is futility and striving after wind. |
Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” | But He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one is affluent does his life consist of his possessions.” |
If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. | If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. |
But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. | But the gracious gift is not like the offense. For if by the offense of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many. |
So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. | I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one’s lifetime; moreover, that every person who eats and drinks sees good in all his labor—this is the gift of God. |
For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. | For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. |
So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. | For since by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. |
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. | For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. |
Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? | What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? |