| We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. | Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. |
| I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. | I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. |
| Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. | Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. |
| But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. | But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled. |
| And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! | From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. |
| Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.” | What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” |
| So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. | Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you. |
| No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. | He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? |
| “All right then,” Joshua said, “destroy the idols among you, and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” | He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the Lord, the God of Israel.” |
| So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. | And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. |
| See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. | See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. |
| What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ | Woe to him who strives with him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’ or ‘Your work has no handles’? |
| You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. | We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. |
| For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. | For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. |
| But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. | But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction. |
| He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. | He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. |
| Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. | Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. |
| Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. | Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. |
| Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. | Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil. |
| Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. | Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. |
| All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). | Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. |
| Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life. | Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death. |
| Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. | Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. |
| Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. | Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. |
| Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. | Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. |
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