| Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. | Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. |
| Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. | And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. |
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| Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. | Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. |
| Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. | Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. |
| But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! | Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. |
| He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ | The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” |
| Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. | Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. |
| For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. | Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. |
| But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles. | But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike. |
| Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. | Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. |
| Do not withhold your mercy from me, Lord; may your love and faithfulness always protect me. | Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. |
| Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ | Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” |
| Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. | Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. |
| The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. | The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. |
| Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. | Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. |
| Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. | Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. |
| Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. | Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. |
| Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. | Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. |
| “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” | “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” |
| Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. | Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. |
| Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. | So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! |
| My mouth is filled with your praise, declaring your splendor all day long. | That is why I can never stop praising you; I declare your glory all day long. |
| Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. | Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. |
| Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. | Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you. |
| Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. | Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. |
