| Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? | Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? |
| But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. | You may say in your heart, “How shall we know the word which Yahweh has not spoken?” When a prophet speaks in Yahweh’s name, if the thing doesn’t follow, nor happen, that is the thing which Yahweh has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You shall not be afraid of him. |
| 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. | Every man also to whom God has given riches and wealth, and has given him power to eat of it, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. |
| 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. | One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. |
| As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them. | But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.” For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends. |
| What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? | What is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him? |
| Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. | Behold, that which I have seen to be good and proper is for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy good in all his labor, in which he labors under the sun, all the days of his life which God has given him; for this is his portion. |
| The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. | The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, like an unscalable wall in his own imagination. |
| So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. | While we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. |
| Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! | He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. |
| Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. | Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. |
| I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent. | I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. |
| For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. | For he satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with good. |
| Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! | Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. |
| Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all. | Wake up righteously and don’t sin, for some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. |
| Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. | Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks that he is wise among you in this world, let him become a fool that he may become wise. |
| They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. | Who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For their women changed the natural function into that which is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural function of the woman, burned in their lust toward one another, men doing what is inappropriate with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error. Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting. |
| You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. | Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. |
| Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. | But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts. |
| When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. | In praying, don’t use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. |
| Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. | “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked?” says the Lord Yahweh, “and not rather that he should return from his way, and live?” |
| Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. | Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great and difficult things, which you don’t know. |
| No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. | No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. |
| Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. | Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. |
| A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. | The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks. |
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