Hear my prayer, O Lord, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were. | Hear my prayer, O Lord! Listen to my cries for help! Don’t ignore my tears. For I am your guest— a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me. |
When goods increase, They increase who eat them; So what profit have the owners Except to see them with their eyes? | The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! |
|
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. | Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. |
And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” | Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” |
I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue. | For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. |
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? | If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? |
Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? | Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? |
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. | We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. |
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. | For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. |
Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. | Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. |
For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. | O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. |
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. | The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. |
Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. | From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. |
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death. | Riches won’t help on the day of judgment, but right living can save you from death. |
Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. | Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. |
Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. | As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. |
Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me. | First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. |
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. | Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval. |
You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. | 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. |
Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. | May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. |
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. | For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. |
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other. | Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing. |
Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him. | So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. |
I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by My name. | The Lord says, “I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am!’ to a nation that did not call on my name.” |
Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. | Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. |