| You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. | O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. |
| Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good. | For the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good. |
| No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. | For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. |
| For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die. | For the Lord loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. |
| May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people. | The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. |
| Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways. Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord, but he offers his friendship to the godly. | Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. |
| Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. | Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. |
| But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. | But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. |
| So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. | Then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment. |
| And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment. | Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. |
| For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. | The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. |
| Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. | Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. |
| Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” | Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” |
| Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. | Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. |
| Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. | Little children, keep yourselves from idols. |
| When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. | For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. |
| God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. | If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. |
| By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. | His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. |
| In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents. | Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. |
| For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. | Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. |
| This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’” | Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” |
| But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. | But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. |
| Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. | Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. |
| Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. | Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. |
| Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. | But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. |
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