| Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. | My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. |
| John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” | John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.” |
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| But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” | But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” |
| You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. | Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. |
| A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married. | If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. |
| Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me. | Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. |
| To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction. | Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid. |
| Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. | Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. |
| For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” | For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.” |
| Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” | Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” |
| So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. | Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. |
| You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor. | You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor. |
| Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good. | For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. |
| Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. | It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. |
| But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike. | But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles. |
| You must keep my Sabbath days of rest and show reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord. | Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the Lord. |
| But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. | But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. |
| And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. | But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. |
| You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord. | Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. |
| We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. | Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. |
| I have given them to you for food, just as I have given you grain and vegetables. But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it. | Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it. |
| I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? | I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass. |
| Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” | Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ |
| But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. | Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. |
| And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. | Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. |
