| I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety. | In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. |
| Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not hold your peace at my tears. For I am your passing guest, an alien, like all my forebears. | 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, those who eat them increase; and what gain has their owner but to see them with his 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 turn away from evil. It will be a healing for your flesh and a refreshment for your body. | 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. |
| Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” | 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 aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue. | For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. |
| Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me 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? |
| Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. | We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. |
| For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. | 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 toil. | Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. |
| For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on 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 cry 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, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. | Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. |
| But as for me, 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 far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need. | First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. |
| You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children 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. |
| For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly. | 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. |
| Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to 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. |
| May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with 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. |
| Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them 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. |
| We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of everyone of you for one another is increasing. | 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. |
| I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here I am, here I am,” to a nation that did not call on 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.” |
| For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. | For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. |
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