| God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. | This God—his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him. |
| 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. |
| As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” | But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” |
| Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! | O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. |
| You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. | You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. |
| Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. | Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. |
| But he knows where I am going. And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold. For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside. | But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I shall come out like gold. My foot has held fast to his steps; I have kept his way and have not turned aside. |
| My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. | Hear, my child, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. |
| And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law. | And ‘to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,’ and ‘to love one's neighbor as oneself,’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. |
| Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. | Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good. |
| And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. | A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. |
| God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. | This God—his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him. |
| And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. | The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. |
| A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ | And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ |
| Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. | Little children, keep yourselves from idols. |
| Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. | Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. |
| I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! | I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. |
| 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. |
| The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. | The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of trouble; he protects those who take refuge in him. |
| Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. | Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. |
| Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. | Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful. |
| Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. | Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble. |
| There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. | No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. |
| Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you. | You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you. |
| So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. | So we fasted and petitioned our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. |
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