They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

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Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
    but those who heed it resist them.

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32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

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32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,(A) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve(B) of those who practice them.

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11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

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11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness,(A) but rather expose them.

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For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her.

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for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.”(A)

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But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

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But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!(A) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?(B)

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18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself.

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18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(A)
    and people praise you when you prosper—

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18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.

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18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you(A) and your father’s family have. You have abandoned(B) the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.

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Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

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The Sin and Doom of Ungodly People

Dear friends,(A) although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share,(B) I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend(C) for the faith(D) that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.(E)

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They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.

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They are from the world(A) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

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When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

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This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem(A) to see the apostles and elders(B) about this question.

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For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth.

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He boasts(A) about the cravings of his heart;
    he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord.(B)

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17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.

19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

20 So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

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17 I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? 18 Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city?(A) Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”(B)

19 When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath,(C) I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.

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Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them.

And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.

Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?

10 I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

13 Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied. And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.

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I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!”(A) So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: “As far as possible, we have bought(B) back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.(C)

So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach(D) of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest!(E) 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest(F) you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath(G) to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook(H) out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”

At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,”(I) and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

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