Book of Common Prayer
16 Do not be deceived!
Receive God’s Lifegiving Gift of The Implanted Word With Gentleness Toward Others, Not Anger
My[a] beloved brothers, 17 every good gift-giving[b] and every perfect gift-given is from-above, coming down from the Father of lights[c], with Whom there is no variation[d] or shadow[e] of turning. 18 Having willed[f] it, He brought[g] us forth by the word of truth so that we might be a kind-of firstfruit of His creatures. 19 You know[h] this, my beloved brothers, but[i] let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow into anger. 20 For the anger of a man does not produce[j] the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore having laid-aside all filthiness and abundance[k] of badness, receive with gentleness the implanted word being able to save your souls.
But Be Doers of The Word, Not Hearers Only
22 But be[l] doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding[m] yourselves. 23 Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, this one is like a man considering[n] the face of his birth[o] in a mirror. 24 For he considered himself and has gone-away and immediately forgot[p] what-sort of man he was. 25 But the one having looked into the perfect law of liberty and having continued, not having become a forgetful[q] hearer, but a doer of work— this one will be blessed in his doing. 26 If anyone thinks that he is religious while not bridling[r] his tongue, but deceiving his heart, the religion[s] of this one is worthless[t]. 27 This is pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father— to be looking-after orphans and widows in their affliction; to be keeping oneself unspotted by the world.
The Unrighteous Steward: Use Earthly Money For Heavenly Gain
16 And He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a certain rich man who had a steward[a]. And this one was accused to him as squandering his possessions. 2 And having called him, he said to him, ‘What is this I am hearing about you? Render the account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward’. 3 And the steward said within himself, ‘What should I do, because my master is taking-away the stewardship[b] from me? I am not strong-enough to dig. I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I will do so that they will welcome me into their houses when I am removed from the stewardship’. 5 And having summoned each one of the debtors of his master, he was saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe to my master?’ 6 And the one said, ‘A hundred baths[c] of olive-oil’. And the one said to him, ‘Take your writings[d], and having sat-down quickly, write fifty’. 7 Then he said to another, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ And the one said, ‘A hundred cor[e] of wheat’. He says to him, ‘Take your writings, and write eighty’. 8 And the master praised the unrighteous steward because he acted shrewdly[f]. Because the sons of [g] this age are more shrewd in-relation-to their own kind than the sons of the light. 9 And I say to you— make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails[h] they[i] will welcome you into the eternal dwellings.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing