| But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.” | Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” |
| By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. |
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| If only they had such a mind as this, to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and with their children forever! | Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! |
| Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, you will find a future, and your hope will not be cut off. | Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. |
| My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. | Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. |
| Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. | The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. |
| Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs. | Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. |
| 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. | Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. |
| Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. | Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. |
| Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” | Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” |
| Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. | Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions. |
| If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. | If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. |
| But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. | But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. |
| Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years. | Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. |
| Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. | Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. |
| When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. | The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. |
| Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. | Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. |
| Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. | So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. |
| For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever. | Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. |
| While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent. | In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. |
| Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” | Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” |
| Wealth is a ransom for a person's life, but the poor get no threats. | A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. |
| What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? | What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? |
| But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. | But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. |
| You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. | 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. |
