| 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: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honor to those who are in authority. |
| And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. | And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. |
| Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life; he who despises his ways will die. | Keep the commandments and keep your life; despising them leads to death. |
| 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? | And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? |
| Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. | Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. |
| 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. | Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! |
| 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 in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. |
| A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back. | Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. |
| 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. | For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. |
| 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. | But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. |
| The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. | A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted. |
| So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. | Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. |
| 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. | Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you 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, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means. |
| 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? | And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own 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. | So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from 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. | And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God. |
| You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. | You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! |
| Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. | God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. |
| A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. | Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions. |
| For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. | For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them. |
| The words of a wise man's mouth win him favor, but the lips of a fool consume him. | Wise words bring approval, but fools are destroyed by their own words. |
| 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 united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so 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. | So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. |
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