| Make every possible effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. | Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. |
| Above all, maintain the fervor of your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. | Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. |
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| I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Repent and live! | For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live! |
| Over all these put on love, which is the bond of perfection. | And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. |
| Make sure that no one pays back evil for evil. Rather, always aim to achieve what is best for each other and for everyone. | Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. |
| Let no one delude himself. If anyone among you considers himself to be wise by worldly standards, he must become a fool in order to be truly wise. | Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. |
| As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. | Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. |
| Let your attitude be identical to that of Christ Jesus. | In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. |
| Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may show yourselves blameless and beyond reproach, children of God without spot in the midst of an evil and depraved generation, among which you shine like lights in the world as you hold fast tenaciously to the word of life. | Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. |
| Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not treat them harshly. | Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. |
| Therefore, encourage one another and strengthen one another, as indeed you are doing. | Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. |
| Through the grace that God has bestowed upon me, I advise every one of you not to think of yourself too highly, but to regard yourself objectively, based on the measure of faith that God has granted. | For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. |
| Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church, the body of which he is the Savior. | Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. |
| After this, he said to the crowd, “Take care to be on your guard against all kinds of greed. Life does not depend upon an abundance of one’s possessions.” | Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” |
| Love one another with genuine affection. Esteem others more highly than yourself. | Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. |
| Do not seek to adorn yourself externally—by the braiding of your hair and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothing. Rather, let your adornment be of your inner self, the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. | Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. |
| Exalted at God’s right hand, he received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. | Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. |
| If it seems wrong to you to serve the Lord, then today you must choose whom you will serve, whether it be the gods that your fathers served on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites who dwell in the land. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. | But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. |
| By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. | This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. |
| Do you not realize that you are God’s temple, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? | Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? |
| The end of all things is near. Therefore, lead disciplined lives and be watchful in prayer. | The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. |
| Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and allow no opportunity for the flesh to gratify its sinful desires. | Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. |
| Remain sober and alert, for your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. | Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. |
| You shall keep these things that I command you today in your heart. Teach them to your children. You shall talk of them when you are sitting in your home, and when you are walking along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. | These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. |
| It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and refuse to submit again to the yoke of slavery. | It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. |
