| In all hard work there is profit, but the talk of the lips leads only to poverty. | All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. |
| I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you, that you are afraid of man who shall die, and of the son of man who will be made as grass? | I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass. |
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| Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? | The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? |
| In God, I praise his word. In God, I put my trust. I will not be 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 that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man 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 is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him? | What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? |
| But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. | Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. |
| They said to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, walking after their own ungodly lusts.” These are those who cause divisions and are sensual, not having the Spirit. | 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. |
| Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. | Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. |
| Knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ. | 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. |
| My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. | Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. |
| By Yahweh’s word, the heavens were made: all their army 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. |
| With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. | To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless. |
| In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. | And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. |
| Nevertheless in your manifold mercies you didn’t make a full end of them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God. | But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. |
| May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. | Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. |
| Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. | The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. |
| But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does, so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. | But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. |
| Let your beauty come not from the outward adorning of braiding your hair, and of wearing gold ornaments or of putting on fine clothing, but from the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible adornment 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. |
| For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more. | For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. |
| Yahweh your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you if you return to him. | For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him. |
| Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. | Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. |
| Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me. | Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me. |
| ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says Yahweh; ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,’ says Yahweh. ‘I will not keep anger forever.’ | ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will not be angry forever.’ |
| But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ | But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ |
