| For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. | For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. |
| Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. | Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. |
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| You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. | You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. |
| When a man is newly married, he shall not go out with the army or be liable for any other public duty. He shall be free at home one year to be happy with his wife whom he has taken. | If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. |
| Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. | 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. |
| Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. | Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. |
| The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. | The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. |
| The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. | The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry. |
| Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. | Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. |
| I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. | I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. |
| Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! | Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! |
| If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. | “If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.” |
| Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. | Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. |
| The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. | The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. |
| The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. | Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life. |
| Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. | Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. |
| The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward. | A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. |
| For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. | For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. |
| Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. | Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. |
| For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. | For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. |
| Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. | Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. |
| When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. | 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. |
| And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. | This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. |
| Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life. | Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. |
| And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. | And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. |
