1 Yahweh detests people who use scales that do not weigh correctly;

he is delighted with those who use correct weights on the scales.

3 People who are good are guided by doing what is honest;

those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.

3 People who are good are guided by doing what is honest;

those who are not honest will be ruined because of the wrong things that they do.

9 If you ask God for wisdom, you will understand what is right and just [DOU] to do,

and you will know the right way to conduct your life,

3 Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to Yahweh

than bringing sacrifices to him.

25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you,

and do not turn aside.

2 And I have determined that we (exc) will be honest [LIT] in everything that we do. We will not do anything that would cause us to be ashamed if people found out about it. We never try to deceive you with clever arguments, as some other people do. We never try to deceive you by changing God’s message, as those same people do. Instead, we always teach people only the truth about Christ, and we teach it clearly. Knowing that God is watching what we do, we teach his message in an honest way, with the result that no one can accuse us (exc) of being deceitful.

21 I say that because we (exc) want to make sure that the Lord God will see that what we (exc) do is right, and other people will see it, too.

9 Do not lie to one another. Do not do those things, because you have ◄disposed of/stopped obeying► your former evil nature and stopped doing what you did when you had that former evil nature,

7 Give to all the officials what you are supposed to give to them! Pay taxes to those who require that you pay taxes. Pay duties on goods to those who require that you pay those duties. Respect those who ought to be respected. Honor those who ought to be honored.

6 It is for this reason that you also pay taxes, because the officials are ones who serve God as they continually do their work.

17 Do not do something evil to anyone who has done something evil to you. Act in a way that all people will recognize as good!

27 If you are able to help people who deserve it,

do not refuse to help them.

8 It is better to have a small amount of money that is earned honestly

than to have a lot of money that is acquired dishonestly.

2 Money that you get by doing dishonest/wicked things will really not benefit you;

but by living righteously you will live for ◄a long time/many years►.

13 Those who refuse to confess/admit their sins will not prosper,

but God acts mercifully/kindly toward those who confess their sins and turn away from their sinful behavior.

16 So, because the Lord is able to heal the sick and to forgive sins, tell each other the sinful things that you have done, and pray for each other in order that you may be healed {that God may heal you} physically and spiritually. If righteous people pray and ask fervently for God to do something, God will certainly do it in a powerful way.

12 Also, my fellow believers, I want to say something important about how you talk. If you say that you will do something, do not say, "If I do not do it, may God in heaven [MTY] punish me." Do not even say, "If I do not do it, may someone here on earth [MTY] punish me." Do not say anything like that. Instead, if you say "Yes," then do what you said that you would do. If you say "No," then do not do it. Otherwise, God will condemn you.

17 But when people are wise [PRS] in the way that God [MTY] wants them to be, they are pure in every way, which God considers to be very important. They also act peaceably towards others, they ◄are considerate of/think about the rights and feelings of► others, they are willing to yield to the wishes of others, they act compassionately toward others, and they do all kinds of good things for others [MET]. How they treat others does not depend on ◄others’ status/whether others are important or not►, and they are sincere in all they do.

6 If we claim to have a close relationship with God, but we conduct our lives in an impure manner, that is like living [MET] in evil darkness. We are lying. We are not conducting our lives according to God’s true message.

18 I say to all of you whom I love dearly, let us not merely say [MTY] that we love our fellow believers! Let us genuinely/really love them by doing things to help them!

8 God is pleased with people who think only about that which pleases him;

some day they will be where God is and will see him.

7 Be quiet in Yahweh’s presence, and wait patiently for him to do what you want him to do.

Do not be bothered/upset when what evil men do is successful,

when they are able to do the wicked things that they plan.

5 Things will go well for those who generously lend money to others

and who conduct their businesses honestly.

15 ◄Do your best/Try hard► to be the kind of person that God will approve of. Be like a good worker as you teach the true message accurately. If a worker works well, he will not need to be ashamed of (OR, will be pleased about) what he does.

16 "After people light a lamp, they do not cover it with a basket or put it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a lampstand, so that those who enter their house can see things from its light [MET]. Similarly, you must tell God’s truth to others so that they can know what I can do for them.

13 Evil people are trapped by the evil things that they say [MTY],

but righteous people escape from trouble.

17 In the courtroom, honest people say what is true,

but untruthful/dishonest people tell nothing but lies.

28 Deceitful people cause strife/quarreling among other people;

those who say false things about other people cause people who are friends to become enemies.