You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. | For you, O God, have put us to the test; you have purified us as silver is refined. |
Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me. | Do not make gods from silver or from gold instead of me. You will not make them for yourselves. |
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The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. | The tongue of the just man is like pure silver; the heart of the wicked is without worth. |
How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! | It is better to acquire wisdom rather than gold, and more desirable to acquire understanding rather than silver. |
Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. | An honorable name is more to be desired than great riches, and high esteem is preferable to silver and gold. |
Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! | One who is covetous will never be satisfied with money, nor will the lover of wealth be content with gain. This too is vanity. |
For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. | 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. |
Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you 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. |