Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will have their fill. | God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. |
Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will persist in their evil ways. | Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials. But the wicked will continue in their wickedness, and none of them will understand. Only those who are wise will know what it means. |
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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 the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. |
The Lord said to Moses, “Climb up to me on the mountain and remain there. I will give you stone tablets with the laws and commandments that I have written for their instruction.” | Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.” |
You shall not oppress the widow or the orphan. If you mistreat them and they cry out to me for help, I will surely hear their cry, and my fury will burn and I will put you to death by the sword. Your wives will be widows and your children will be orphans. | You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless. |
In other words, God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, and not holding people’s transgressions against them, and he committed to us the message of reconciliation. | For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. |
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and on that day about three thousand people were added to their number. | Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all. |
Yet even if you should suffer for doing what is right, you are thereby blessed. Have no fear of others, and refuse to be intimidated by them. | But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. |
Do I derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? asks the Lord God. Would I not rather rejoice to see them turn away from their wickedness and live? | Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. |
Therefore, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God, since those who enter into God’s rest also cease from their own labors as God did from his. | So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. |
He who guards his mouth makes his life secure, but one who talks excessively ensures his own downfall. | Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. |
The Lord is good, an unfailing refuge in a time of distress. He takes care of those who place their trust in him. | The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust in him. |
With his mouth the godless man seeks to ruin his neighbor, but knowledge enables the righteous to be delivered. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
Instruct those who are rich in this world’s goods that they should not be proud, nor should they trust in the uncertainty of riches but rather in God who richly provides us with everything we need for our enjoyment. | Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. |
Therefore, the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials and to hold the wicked for punishment until the Day of Judgment. | 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. |
I will make them and the region surrounding my hill a blessing, and I will send them rain in due season that will be showers of blessing. | I will bless my people and their homes around my holy hill. And in the proper season I will send the showers they need. There will be showers of blessing. |
For the love of Christ urges us forward, once we conclude that one has died for all, and therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sakes died and was raised to life. | Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. |
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord, our God. | Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God. |
He has made everything suitable for its time, and he has given men a sense of past and future, but they never have the slightest comprehension of what God has wrought from beginning to end. | Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. |
Every word of God has proved to be true; he is a shield to those who trust in him. | Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. |
You will again show us compassion and wash away our guilt; you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. | Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! |
The face of the Lord is turned against those who do evil, to erase all memory of them from the earth. | But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. |
The wealth of a rich man is his stronghold; he regards it as a high wall that cannot be scaled. | The rich think of their wealth as a strong defense; they imagine it to be a high wall of safety. |
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. | If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. |
If anyone thinks that he is religious but does not restrain his tongue, he is deceiving himself, and his religion is worthless. | If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. |