| For you, O God, have put us to the test; you have purified us as silver is refined. | For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. |
| The tongue of the just man is like pure silver; the heart of the wicked is without worth. | The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. |
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| Do not make gods from silver or from gold instead of me. You will not make them for yourselves. | Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. |
| It is better to acquire wisdom rather than gold, and more desirable to acquire understanding rather than silver. | How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver! |
| An honorable name is more to be desired than great riches, and high esteem is preferable to silver and gold. | A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. |
| One who is covetous will never be satisfied with money, nor will the lover of wealth be content with gain. This too is vanity. | Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. |
| For you are aware that you were ransomed from your futile way of life inherited from your ancestors not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. | For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. |
| 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. | 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. |
