| Grant justice to the weak and the orphan; defend the rights of the lowly and the poor. | Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. |
| Wash yourselves and become clean; remove your evil deeds far from my sight. Cease to do evil. | Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. |
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| A man is joyful when he utters apt answers, and even more satisfying is a word in season. | A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! |
| Welcome anyone whose faith is weak, but do not get into arguments about doubts. | Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. |
| Train a child in the way he should go, and he will not deviate from it, even in old age. | Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. |
| Let your love be sincere. Loathe what is evil and hold fast to what is good. | Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. |
| Brethren, if anyone is detected committing a transgression, you who are spiritual must set him right in a spirit of gentleness. Meanwhile, you should take care so that you yourselves are not tempted. | Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. |
| All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in uprightness, so that the man of God may be proficient and equipped for good work of every kind. | All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. |
| Finally, brethren, let your minds be filled with whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, whatever is excellent, whatever is worthy of praise. | Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. |
| For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. However, the face of the Lord is set against those who do evil. | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. |
| What right do you have to pass judgment on someone else’s servant? The master will determine whether that servant will stand or fall. But the servant will be upheld, for the Lord has the power to enable him to stand. | Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. |
| While experiencing temptation, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. | When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. |
| “All things are lawful,” you may say—but not all things are beneficial. All things may be lawful—but not all things are constructive. | “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. |
| It is better to have little and be righteous than to acquire great riches with injustice. | Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice. |
| “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. | “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. |
| Let the wicked abandon their ways and those who are evil their thoughts. Let them return to the Lord so that he may have mercy upon them; and to our God, for he is rich in forgiveness. | Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. |
| Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land who obey his commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; then perhaps you may find shelter on the day of the Lord’s anger. | Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger. |
| The proud man’s heart is not upright, but the righteous man will live because of his faith. | See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness. |
| But the one who did not know those wishes, and who acted in such a manner as to deserve a beating, will be beaten less severely. Much will be demanded of a person to whom much has been given, and even more will be asked of a person to whom more has been entrusted. | But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked. |
| What then should we say? That the Law is sinful? Absolutely not! Yet if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin was. I would not have known what covet is if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” | What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” |
| And learn to do good. Pursue justice and rescue the oppressed; listen to the plea of the orphan and defend the widow. | Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. |
| Woe to anyone who rises up against his Maker, or to the pot that is displeased with the potter. Does the clay say to the one who molds it, “What are you doing? Your work makes no sense.” | Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker, those who are nothing but potsherds among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘The potter has no hands’? |
| Then I came to realize that all toil and skill in work derive from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chase after the wind. | And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person’s envy of another. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. |
| If we are diligent in observing all of these commandments before the Lord, our God, as he commanded of us, then this will be our righteousness. | And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness. |
| Make your ways known to me, O Lord; teach me your paths. | Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. |
