Does it now appear to you that I am trying to gain the approval of human beings rather than the approval of God? Am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. | For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ. |
Let us examine and test our ways and return to the Lord. | Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh. |
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Examine me, O God, and know my heart; test me and understand my thoughts. See if I follow an evil way, and guide me on the way to eternity. | Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. |
Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not demand the return of what is yours from the one who has taken it. | Give to everyone who asks you, and don’t ask him who takes away your goods to give them back again. |
The heart is more deceitful than any other thing, and it is also perverse. Who can uncover its secrets? I, the Lord, search the heart and probe the mind to reward all according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve. | 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.” |
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vanity, but humbly regard others as better than yourselves. | Doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself. |
Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Rather, always aim to achieve what is best for each other and for everyone. | See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all. |
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. | For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake will save it. |
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. | For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever will lose his life for my sake will find it. |
Bring the tithes in full into the treasury so that there may be food in my house. Put me thus to the test, says the Lord of hosts, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down blessings upon you without measure. | “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of Armies, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be enough room for.” |
For you know that the testing of your faith will develop perseverance. | Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
Those of you who seek to be justified by the Law have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from grace. | You are alienated from Christ, you who desire to be justified by the law. You have fallen away from grace. |
Beloved, do not trust every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. | Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. |
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the sake of the gospel will save it. | For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. |
Do not wear yourself out in the pursuit of wealth, and cease even to think about it. | Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint. |
Whenever you fast, do not assume a gloomy expression like the hypocrites who contort their faces so that others may realize that they are fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. | Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. |
Exhort slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give them satisfaction in every respect. They are not to talk back to them, nor are they to steal from them. Rather, they should show themselves to be completely trustworthy so that in every way they may add luster to the doctrine of God our Savior. | Exhort servants to be in subjection to their own masters and to be well-pleasing in all things, not contradicting, not stealing, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our Savior, in all things. |
Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I made no attempt to conceal my guilt. I said, “I will confess my offenses to the Lord,” and you removed the guilt of my sin. Selah | I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah. |
All this has been done by God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation. | But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation. |
But Jesus has now received a ministry that is far superior, for he is the mediator of a far better covenant that has been established on better promises. | But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law. |
And so you should put to death everything in your nature that is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, and greed (which is idolatry). | Put to death therefore your members which are on the earth: sexual immorality, uncleanness, depraved passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. |
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you previously, that no one who does such things will inherit the kingdom of God. | Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom. |