| If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. | If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. |
| How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver! | How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! |
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| Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. | But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. |
| The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. | The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. |
| God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” | He will judge everyone according to what they have done. |
| Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. | Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. |
| There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? | God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? |
| We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life! | “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” |
| Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. | Kind words are like honey— sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. |
| The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. | The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. |
| To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. | The Lord is more pleased when we do what is right and just than when we offer him sacrifices. |
| It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows. | Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. |
| Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. | Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. |
| He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. | No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. |
| Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. | Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. |
| 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. | Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. |
| He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. | He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. |
| He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” | And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” |
| For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. | In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. |
| I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. | I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. |
| It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. | Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. |
| I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. | I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! |
| Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. | Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
| So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. | Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. |
| They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. | All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. |
