| Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. | Lying lips conceal hatred, and whoever utters slander is a fool. |
| Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler. | Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a ruler. |
| The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. | The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth. |
| The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. | By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. |
| Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. | Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. |
| When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. | While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. |
| Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. | Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. |
| Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.” | Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.” |
| Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. | Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly. |
| Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. | Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors. |
| As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. | But as for you, teach what is consistent with sound doctrine. |
| The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. | Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. |
| But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. | In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. |
| 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 one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. |
| But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. | Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. |
| I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. | I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. |
| I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food. | I have not departed from the commandment of his lips; I have treasured in my bosom the words of his mouth. |
| Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one. | Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one. |
| Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. | Because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. |
| Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. | Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. |
| But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. | You may say to yourself, “How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken?” If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it. |
| Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honor and satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken! | If you refrain from trampling the sabbath, from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call the sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways, serving your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs; then you shall take delight in the Lord, and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Jacob, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. |
| Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. | Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. |
| If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive. | If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive. |
| The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth. | Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. |
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