| But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. | You might say to yourself, “How can we know that the Lord did not speak the message?” If what the prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord is not true and it does not happen, then the message was not proclaimed by the Lord. The prophet has spoken presumptuously, you should not fear him. |
| Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. | Fix your thoughts on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. |
| When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. | When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; nor will the waters engulf you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not consume you. |
| An honest witness does not lie; a false witness breathes lies. | A truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness lies incessantly. |
| Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” | Go and learn what this text means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I have come to call not the righteous but sinners. |
| Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. | Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A person will reap only what he sows. |
| The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.” | I was eager to respond to those who did not consult me. I was anxious to be approached by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am! Here I am!” to a nation that did not summon me. |
| You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. | “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not allow myself to be dominated by anything. |
| Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! | Arise, O Lord! Lift up your hand, O God! Do not forget the afflicted. |
| But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. | But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. |
| Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. | Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill them. |
| I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent. | I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. |
| So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me.” | Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not my own; rather, it comes from him who sent me.” |
| Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. | Do not be afraid or dismayed, the Lord will go before you; he will not fail or forsake you. |
| Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? | He did not spare his own Son but gave him up for all of us. How then can he fail also to give us everything else along with him? |
| Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! | What then? Should we sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Of course not! |
| Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. | As long as the goodwill is present, the gift will be acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. |
| You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. | You want something that you cannot have, so you commit murder. And you covet something but cannot obtain it, so you engage in quarrels and fights. You do not have because you do not ask. |
| Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. | There is no one on earth who is so righteous that he does nothing but good and never sins. |
| But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. | Those who place their hope in the Lord will regain their strength. They will soar as with eagles’ wings, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not become faint. |
| I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. | I treasure your word in my heart for fear that I may sin against you. |
| O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. | Return, rebel Israel, says the Lord. I will not look upon you in anger. For I am merciful, says the Lord; my wrath will not continue forever. |
| Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. | For sin is no longer to have any power over you, since you are not under the Law but under grace. |
| Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? | Or can a man walk on red-hot coals without scorching his feet? |
| He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. | He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, so that I stand unshaken. |
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