| You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. | The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues 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 false: a tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan; people deck 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, nor 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 what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's 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 faithful ones. The righteous shall be kept safe 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 the saints. 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 the violent and do not choose any of their ways; for the perverse are 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 commits sin is guilty of 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, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, 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 trial, 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 disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God's wrath. |
| For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. | It is that very Spirit bearing 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. | All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from 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 that person. 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 given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. |
| 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 in the presence of 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. | As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. |
| 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 at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; 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 merely hearers who deceive themselves. |
| 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. | My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not 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, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. |
| Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. | But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. |
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