| Although we are human beings, we do not engage in battle according to human standards. | For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. |
| Even if an army encamps against me, my heart will not succumb to fear; even if war breaks out against me, I will not have my trust shaken. | 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 want something that you cannot have, so you commit murder. And you covet something but cannot obtain it, so you engage in quarrels and fights. 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. |
| It is better to be a patient man rather than a warrior, one who controls his temper rather than one who captures 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 warrior and a savior. He will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you through his love. He will exult over you with shouts of joy. | 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. |
| If a man has recently been married, he is not to go off to battle nor have any other duty laid on him. He will be free to stay at home for one year so that he can bring happiness to the wife whom he has married. | 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 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. | 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. |
| If you refuse to listen to me and do not sincerely resolve to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, I will send a curse on you, and I will turn your blessings into a curse. Indeed, I have already done so because you have not heeded my warning. | “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.” |
| Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn, and yet God feeds them. You are of far greater importance than 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! |
| The reward of humility and fear of the Lord is wealth, honor, and life. | Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life. |
| Two are better than one: they earn a far greater reward for their toil. | Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. |
| And so does kindness, O Lord. You reward each person in accordance with his deeds. | “And with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” |
| If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. | If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. |
| Be on guard against false prophets who come to you disguised in sheep’s clothing, but who inwardly are ravenous wolves. | Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. |
| A word is not even on my tongue and you, O Lord, are completely aware of it. | Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. |
| The prudent man perceives danger and seeks shelter, while the simple continue forward and pay the penalty. | The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. |
| Through the grace that God has bestowed upon me, I advise every one of you not to think of yourself too highly, but to regard yourself objectively, based on the measure of faith that God has granted. | 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. |
| From that day forward Jesus began to proclaim the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” | From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” |
| Call to me and I will answer you and reveal to you great and mysterious secrets about which you are unaware. | Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. |
| Behold, I am coming soon, and I will bring with me my reward to repay everyone as his deeds deserve. | Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. |
| The labors of the wicked man produce little profit, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. | A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward. |
| I press on toward the finishing line to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus. | I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. |
| Be on your guard that you do not lose what we have worked to accomplish so that you will receive your reward in full. | Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. |
| At the time that discipline is received, it always seems painful rather than pleasant, but afterward it yields a harvest of peace and uprightness to those who have been trained by it. | No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. |
| Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may show yourselves blameless and beyond reproach, children of God without spot in the midst of an evil and depraved generation, among which you shine like lights in the world as you hold fast tenaciously 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. |
