| Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. | If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. |
| Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me. | Don’t withhold your tender mercies from me, Yahweh. Let your loving kindness and your truth continually preserve me. |
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| When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways. | God, having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him to you first to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your wickedness. |
| Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. | Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free. |
| And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. | Now, little children, remain in him, that when he appears, we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming. |
| All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. | But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation. |
| Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. | Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil. It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones. |
| For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. | For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. |
| Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. | Tear your heart and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity. |
| Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. | Not rendering evil for evil or insult for insult; but instead blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. |
| He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ | He isn’t here, but is risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered up into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again? |
| Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. | Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, looking to yourself so that you also aren’t tempted. |
| “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. | “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, and the holy of Yahweh honorable, and honor it, not doing your own ways, nor finding your own pleasure, nor speaking your own words, then you will delight yourself in Yahweh, and I will make you to ride on the high places of the earth, and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father;” for Yahweh’s mouth has spoken it. |
