| Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. | Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. |
| And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. | And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. |
|
| Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. | Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die. |
| For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? | What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? |
| Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. | Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. |
| He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. | You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. |
| Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! | Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. |
| A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. | Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. |
| Understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. | We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. |
| But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. | Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. |
| The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. | Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. |
| So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. | Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. |
| For the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good. | For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. |
| Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. | Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. |
| And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. | And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. |
| For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? | What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? |
| I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. | I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. |
| Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. | Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. |
| You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. | You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. |
| Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. |
| A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. | Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. |
| For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. | For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. |
| The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. | Words from the mouth of the wise are gracious, but fools are consumed by their own lips. |
| Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. | All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. |
| Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment. | If this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. |
