| “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are profitable. “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things build up. | “All things are lawful,” you may say—but not all things are beneficial. All things may be lawful—but not all things are constructive. |
| God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should repent. Has he said, and he won’t do it? Or has he spoken, and he won’t make it good? | God is not human, that he should lie, or the son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act, does he promise and then not fulfill it? |
| When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and flame will not scorch you. | When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; nor will the waters engulf you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not consume you. |
| But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. | Go and learn what this text means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I have come to call not the righteous but sinners. |
| What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn’t have known sin except through the law. For I wouldn’t have known coveting unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” | What then should we say? That the Law is sinful? Absolutely not! Yet if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin was. I would not have known what covet is if the Law had not said, “You shall not covet.” |
| I will hurry, and not delay, to obey your commandments. | I will make haste and not delay to observe your precepts. |
| Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not ask wisely about this. | Do not assert that the past was better than the present, for such a statement is not a sign of wisdom. |
| I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. | I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. |
| A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies. | A truthful witness does not lie, but a false witness lies incessantly. |
| Let’s not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season if we don’t give up. | Let us never grow weary in doing what is right, for if we do not give up, we will reap our harvest in due time. |
| “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are expedient. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be brought under the power of anything. | “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not allow myself to be dominated by anything. |
| Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. | Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A person will reap only what he sows. |
| ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says Yahweh; ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,’ says Yahweh. ‘I will not keep anger forever.’ | Return, rebel Israel, says the Lord. I will not look upon you in anger. For I am merciful, says the Lord; my wrath will not continue forever. |
| Jesus therefore answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” | Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not my own; rather, it comes from him who sent me.” |
| For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast. | For it is by grace that you have been saved through faith. This has not come from you but from the gift of God. It does not come from works, so that no one can boast. |
| Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are on the earth. | Fix your thoughts on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. |
| What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! | What then? Should we sin because we are not under the Law but under grace? Of course not! |
| But those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint. | Those who place their hope in the Lord will regain their strength. They will soar as with eagles’ wings, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not become faint. |
| Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched? | Or can a man walk on red-hot coals without scorching his feet? |
| You shall most certainly not make gods of silver or gods of gold for yourselves to be alongside me. | Do not make gods from silver or from gold instead of me. You will not make them for yourselves. |
| He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life. | Whoever possesses the Son possesses life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not possess life. |
| He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I will not be shaken. | He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, so that I stand unshaken. |
| Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain. | Dispose my heart to follow your statutes and to flee selfish gain. |
| So then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. | So we must not fall asleep as the others do, but we must stay alert and sober. |
| Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. | Do not be lacking in zeal, but serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. |
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