| A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. | A gift opens doors for the giver and wins him access to the powerful. |
| I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. | I understand that man’s greatest happiness is to be glad and do well throughout his life. And when we eat and drink and find satisfaction in all our labors, this is a gift of God. |
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| Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. | Let mutual love continue, and do not forget to offer hospitality to strangers, for by doing this some have entertained angels without knowing it. |
| Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. | Those who accepted his message were baptized, and on that day about three thousand people were added to their number. |
| Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame. | Come to your senses and sin no more. For some of you have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. |
| Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. | As a result, you are no longer strangers and foreigners. Rather, you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. |
| You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. | You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, what can be done to make it salty once again? It is no longer good for anything, and thus it is cast out and trampled underfoot. |
| Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. | What god can compare with you, the God who takes away guilt and forgives the transgressions of the remnant of your people? You will not allow your anger to fester forever, for your delight is in bestowing mercy. |
| In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” | And you will say on that day: Give thanks to the Lord, invoke his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. |
| And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. | A highway will be there that will be called the Way of Holiness. No one who is unclean may pass over it; it will serve as a path for pilgrims and no fool will be able to use it. |
| For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. | No prophecy ever came from human initiative. Rather, when people spoke as messengers of God, they did so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. |
| Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. | Let your kindness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. |
| The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. | The upright are guarded by their integrity; the treacherous are destroyed by their own duplicity. |
| If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. | As much as possible, and to the extent of your ability, live in peace with everyone. |
| Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. | Do not let kindness and fidelity leave you; fasten them around your neck and inscribe them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will gain favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. |
| Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. | Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Rather, always aim to achieve what is best for each other and for everyone. |
| How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. | How great is your goodness, O Lord, which you have stored up for those who fear you and which you bestow on those who take refuge in you, in the presence of all the people. |
| On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” | When Jesus heard this, he said, “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but rather those who are sick.” |
| Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. | Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to all those on whom his favor rests. |
| May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. | May the Lord cause your love to increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else, just as our love does for you. |
| Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. | Speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves, and defend the rights of the destitute. |
| But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. | But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. |
| Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. | Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but he who mingles with fools will suffer harm. |
| 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. | For the carved images of the nations are powerless; they are nothing more than wood cut from a forest, fashioned with a knife by craftsmen and embellished with silver and gold. Then they are fastened with hammers and nails to prevent them from toppling. Like scarecrows in a cucumber field they are unable to speak, and they must be carried from place to place since they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they can do no harm, nor do they have any power to do good. |
| Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” | Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” |
