| God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. | As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh’s word is tested. He is a shield to all those 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. | But above all things, my brothers, don’t swear— not by heaven, or by the earth, or by any other oath; but let your “yes” be “yes”, and your “no”, “no”, so that you don’t fall into hypocrisy. |
| 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 when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” |
| Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! | Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good. Blessed is the man who takes 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 misuse the name of Yahweh your God; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name. |
| Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. | Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all wrongs. |
| 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 tried me, I will come out like gold. My foot has held fast to his steps. I have kept his way, and not turned away. |
| My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. | Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will 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, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is 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 without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which 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. | I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will 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. | As for God, his way is perfect. Yahweh’s word is tried. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him. |
| And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. | This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother. |
| A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ | A second likewise is this, ‘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, if God loved us in this way, 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 Yahweh, because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy. Because he has turned 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. | Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. |
| The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. | Yahweh is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows 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. | Beware, brothers, lest perhaps there might be in any one of you an evil heart of unbelief, in falling 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 and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil. |
| Those who love your instructions have great peace and do not stumble. | Those who love your law have great peace. Nothing causes them to stumble. |
| There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. | Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his 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 shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you. |
| So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. | So we fasted and begged our God for this, and he granted our request. |
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