| You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child. If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. | You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless. |
| But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “Don’t fear what they fear, neither be troubled.” | But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. |
| I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. | I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. |
| He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. | Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. |
| With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
| For the love of Christ compels us; because we judge thus: that one died for all, therefore all died. He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again. | Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. |
| I will make them and the places around my hill a blessing. I will cause the shower to come down in its season. There will be showers of blessing. | I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. |
| Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will freely pardon. | Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. |
| Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of Yahweh our God. | Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God. |
| The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them. | Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. |
| 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 all who come to him for protection. |
| The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it? “I, Yahweh, search the mind. I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” | The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve. |
| For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the middle of them. | For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them. |
| Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them.” | Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.” |
| The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination. | The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. |
| He who seeks his life will lose it; and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. | If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. |
| If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. | If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. |
| For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it. | If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. |
| Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the hearts. | People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart. |
| For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. | If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. |
| He who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth in his heart; he who doesn’t slander with his tongue, nor does evil to his friend, nor casts slurs against his fellow man. | Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. |
| As he came out of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go again as he came, and shall take nothing for his labor, which he may carry away in his hand. | We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. |
| Behold, his soul is puffed up. It is not upright in him, but the righteous will live by his faith. | Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. |
| A man’s heart plans his course, but Yahweh directs his steps. | We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. |
| For in much wisdom is much grief; and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. | The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. |
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