| For the carved images of the nations are powerless; they are nothing more than wood cut from a forest, fashioned with a knife by craftsmen and embellished with silver and gold. Then they are fastened with hammers and nails to prevent them from toppling. Like scarecrows in a cucumber field they are unable to speak, and they must be carried from place to place since they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they can do no harm, nor do they have any power to do good. | For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold. They fasten it with nails and with hammers, so that it can’t move. They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and don’t speak. They must be carried, because they can’t move. Don’t be afraid of them; for they can’t do evil, neither is it in them to do good. |
| My soul longs for you throughout the night, and my spirit within me seeks your presence. For when your judgments are revealed to the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn to practice justice. | With my soul I have desired you in the night. Yes, with my spirit within me I will seek you earnestly; for when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. |
| The love of money is the root of all evils, and in their desire for it some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many serious wounds. | For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. |
| Jesus addressed them once again, saying, “I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness. Rather, he will have the light of life.” | Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.” |
| If you forgive others for the wrongs they have done, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. | For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. |
| I further pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know the hope to which he has called you, how rich and glorious is his inheritance in the saints. | Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. |
| Therefore, while we have the opportunity, let us labor for the good of all, but especially for those members of the household of the faith. | So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith. |
| Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues. | Deliver my soul, Yahweh, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue. |
| I understand that man’s greatest happiness is to be glad and do well throughout his life. And when we eat and drink and find satisfaction in all our labors, this is a gift of God. | I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice, and to do good as long as they live. Also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God. |
| He replied, “What is impossible for men is possible for God.” | But he said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” |
| For God would not be so unjust as to ignore your work and the love that you have shown for his name by the services you have rendered to the saints and still continue to render. | For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them. |
| Do not envy a violent man or choose to emulate any of his ways. For the perverse man is an abomination to the Lord whose friendship is bestowed only upon the upright. | Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways. For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is with the upright. |
| It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to place your trust in mortals. | It is better to take refuge in Yahweh, than to put confidence in man. |
| May God continue to bless us and be revered to the ends of the earth. | God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him. |
| And the one who searches hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. | He who searches the hearts knows what is on the Spirit’s mind, because he makes intercession for the saints according to God. |
| A gift opens doors for the giver and wins him access to the powerful. | A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men. |
| All day long the godless man continues to covet, whereas the righteous man gives unsparingly. | There are those who covet greedily all day long; but the righteous give and don’t withhold. |
| Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in accord with the law of the Lord. | Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to Yahweh’s law. |
| With the Lord to protect me I am not afraid. What can mortals do to me? | Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? |
| The fear of others will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is secure. | The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe. |
| A man’s ways may seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart. | Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the hearts. |
| In all of your prayers and entreaties, pray always in the Spirit. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. | With all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints. |
| As a result, you are no longer strangers and foreigners. Rather, you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. | So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone. |
| Two are better than one: they earn a far greater reward for their toil. | Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. |
| Because the sentence for committing an evil act is not carried out quickly, people’s hearts are prone to act wickedly. | Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. |
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Bible verse of the day
A fool spurns his father’s correction,but whoever heeds admonition is prudent.