| For I say through the grace that was given me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. | Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. |
| For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. | Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. |
| Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. | Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. |
| In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor prefer one another. | Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. |
| Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. | Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. |
| Rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer. | Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. |
| Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. | Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. |
| Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. | Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. |
| Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. | Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! |
| If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. | Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. |
| Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” | Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. |
| Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. | Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. |
| Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. | Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. |
| For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. | Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. |
| Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. | Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. |
| Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. | Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. |
| For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” | For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” |
| Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. | Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. |
| But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts. | Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. |
| Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. | Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. |
| Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. | Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. |
| Who are you who judge another’s servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand. | Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. |
| One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. | In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. |
| For if we live, we live to the Lord. Or if we die, we die to the Lord. If therefore we live or die, we are the Lord’s. | If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. |
| For it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘to me every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess to God.’” | For the Scriptures say, “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’” |
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