| 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. | 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. |
| Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. | At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. |
| The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. | But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. |
| For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.” | For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” |
| How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. | How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. |
| All deeds are right in the sight of the doer, but the Lord weighs the heart. | People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. |
| I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil. | 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. |
| And steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work. | Unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done. |
| Do not envy the violent and do not choose any of their ways; for the perverse are an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. | Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways. Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord, but he offers his friendship to the godly. |
| The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps. | We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. |
| Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. | I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. |
| For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow. | The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. |
| Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” | Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” |
| For he will repay according to each one's deeds. | He will judge everyone according to what they have done. |
| Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. | Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. |
| Some judge one day to be better than another, while others judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own minds. | In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. |
| Pay to all what is due them—taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. | 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. |
| He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. 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! |
| Also that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing, not with their hair braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God. | And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. |
| He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” | Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” |
| But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God. | But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. |
| A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back. | Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back. |
| And whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, 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. |
| So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. | Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. |
| Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly. 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. |
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