Therefore, when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward. | When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. |
If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. | Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. |
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For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you. | O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. |
Knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ. | For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. |
For you were once darkness, but are now light in the Lord. Walk as children of light. | For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! |
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. | Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. |
Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. | Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. |
For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. | This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. |
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. | For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. |
For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin. | Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. |
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin. | But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. |
Let your loving kindness be on us, Yahweh, since we have hoped in you. | Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. |
For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. | Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. |
The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. | The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. |
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which Yahweh your God gives you. | Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. |
Save us now, we beg you, Yahweh! Yahweh, we beg you, send prosperity now. Blessed is he who comes in Yahweh’s name! We have blessed you out of Yahweh’s house. | Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success. Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We bless you from the house of the Lord. |
But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and we have given you of your own. | But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! |
We have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. | But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. |
So we fasted and begged our God for this, and he granted our request. | So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. |
According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted. Therefore they have forgotten me. | But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me. |
So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. | Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. |
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. | For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. |
For while we were yet weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. | When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. |
In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. | And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. |
For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. | For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. |