Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. | If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. |
Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. | Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. |
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The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. | The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall. |
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. | As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. |
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. | Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. |
A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. | All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart. |
Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life, but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die. | Those who keep the commandment will live; those who are heedless of their ways will die. |
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” | The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. |
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. | For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. |
Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. | You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans. |
The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others. | Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors. |
I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. | I will make them and the region around my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. |
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? | For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? |
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. | He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. |
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. | It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice. |
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. | He has made everything suitable for its time; moreover he has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. |
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth. | The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. |
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. | And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done. |
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. | Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices. |
And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. | The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also. |
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. | The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. |
Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. | And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. |
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. | A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back. |
See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright— but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness. | Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith. |
Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. | Even fools who keep silent are considered wise; when they close their lips, they are deemed intelligent. |