| In all toil there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. | All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. |
| I, I am he who comforts you; why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die, a human being who fades like grass? | I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass. |
|
| With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? | The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? |
| But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. | Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. |
| In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me? | In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? |
| So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” | So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” |
| What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? | What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? |
| For they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. | They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. |
| You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. | For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. |
| Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. | Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. |
| By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. | By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. |
| When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. | And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. |
| Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight. | Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. |
