| Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. | Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. |
| 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. | 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. |
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| When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. | On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. |
| The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. | The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. |
| Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb, and as everyone comes, so they depart. They take nothing from their toil that they can carry in their hands. | 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. |
| Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. | And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” |
| The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. | Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart. |
| They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. | All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. |
| My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ. | I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. |
| Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. | And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. |
| When anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. | When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin. |
| Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. | Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. |
| Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. | Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. |
| But if a wicked person turns away from all the sins they have committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, that person will surely live; they will not die. | But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. |
| So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. | When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. |
| After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. | After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. |
| Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. | A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” |
| But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. | And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. |
| And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. | In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord. |
| Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! | Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever. |
| While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” | As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” |
| Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. | Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. |
| Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. | What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. |
| Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. | All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. |
| Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone, for they will surely sprout wings and fly off to the sky like an eagle. | In the blink of an eye wealth disappears, for it will sprout wings and fly away like an eagle. |
