Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. | Only goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. |
But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. | However, if the wicked renounce all of the sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is right and just, they shall surely live; they shall not die. |
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Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until he reveals his plans to his servants the prophets. | Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. |
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! | Although it was our afflictions that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, we thought of him as stricken, as struck down by God and afflicted. |
But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! | Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the one who sustains me. |
He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! | The one who gives this testimony says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! |
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. | Beloved, since God loved us so much, we should love one another. |
Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. | He will never be swayed; the righteous man will be remembered forever. |
Unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done. | And so does kindness, O Lord. You reward each person in accordance with his deeds. |
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.’” | For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” |
And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! | Out of the same mouth flow blessings and curses. This should not be so, my brethren. |
You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless. | You shall not oppress the widow or the orphan. If you mistreat them and they cry out to me for help, I will surely hear their cry, and my fury will burn and I will put you to death by the sword. Your wives will be widows and your children will be orphans. |
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. | Let marriage be held in honor by all, and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for those who are immoral and adulterers will have to face God’s judgment. |
People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. | Anyone who leads an honorable life walks in safety, but whoever pursues wicked ways will be found out. |
The grapevines have dried up, and the fig trees have withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees— all the fruit trees—have dried up. And the people’s joy has dried up with them. | The vine has withered; the fig tree droops. The pomegranate, the palm, and the apple tree— all the trees of the field have dried up. And the joy of the people has also withered away. |
God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. | The one who calls you is faithful, and he will accomplish this. |
For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love. | Truly, you bless the righteous, O Lord; you surround them with your goodwill as with a shield. |
Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise. | If you would seriously consider my reproof, I would pour out my thoughts to you and make my precepts known to you. |
So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. | Therefore, let us leave behind the basic teaching about Christ and advance toward maturity. We must not be forever laying the foundation: repentance for actions that lead to death, faith in God, instruction about baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. |
In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. | When you fix your gaze upon it, it is gone before you realize it. For it suddenly sprouts wings and flies up to the sky like an eagle. |
Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did? | Can anyone withhold the water of baptism from these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? |
Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. | You shall not hate your brother in your heart, nor shall you rebuke your brother in any way, lest you bear sin because of him. You shall not seek vengeance nor bear a grudge against the children of your people. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. |
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” | For I know full well the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for your misfortune, plans that will offer you a future filled with hope. |
For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. | For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more certain it is that, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. |
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. | When things are going well, be grateful for your blessings, and in times of adversity consider this: God has made both of them, so that we cannot predict with confidence what the future holds. |