Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying 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 people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. |
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. | Let’s examine and search out our ways, And let’s return to the Lord. |
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Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. | Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way. |
You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. | You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by the Law; you have fallen from grace. |
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. | Urge slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be pleasing, not argumentative, not stealing, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect. |
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. | Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. |
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” | The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, To give to each person according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds. |
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves. | Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves. |
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. | See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek what is good for one another and for all people. |
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. | For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, this is the one who will save it. |
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. | For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. |
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” | “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” |
Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. | Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. |
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. | Beloved, 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. |
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. | For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. |
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. | Do not weary yourself to gain wealth; Stop dwelling on it. |
When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. | Now whenever you fast, do not make a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they distort their faces so that they will be noticed by people when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. |
Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. | I acknowledged my sin to You, And I did not hide my guilt; I said, “I will confess my wrongdoings to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah |
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. | Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. |
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. | Therefore, treat the parts of your earthly body as dead to sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. |
But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises. | But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, to the extent that He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. |
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. | Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. |