Bad people get their swords\par and aim their bows.\par They want to kill poor, helpless people.\par They want to kill good, honest people.\par
1 Peter 2:12 - Easy To Read Version People who don’t believe are living all around you. Those people may say that you are doing wrong. So live good lives. Then they will see the good things you do, and they will give glory to God on that day when he comes. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Conduct yourselves properly (honorably, righteously) among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as evildoers, [yet] they may by witnessing your good deeds [come to] glorify God in the day of inspection [when God shall look upon you wanderers as a pastor or shepherd looks over his flock]. American Standard Version (1901) having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Common English Bible Live honorably among the unbelievers. Today, they defame you, as if you were doing evil. But in the day when God visits to judge they will glorify him, because they have observed your honorable deeds. Catholic Public Domain Version Keep your behavior among the Gentiles to what is good, so that, when they slander you as if you were evildoers, they may, by the good works that are seen in you, glorify God on the day of visitation. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Having your conversation good among the Gentiles: that whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by the good works, which they shall behold in you, glorify God in the day of visitation. |
Bad people get their swords\par and aim their bows.\par They want to kill poor, helpless people.\par They want to kill good, honest people.\par
So if a person gives a thank offering, {\cf2\super [302]} \par then he shows me honor.\par But if a person lives right,\par then I will show him my power to save.”\par
Lawmakers, you will have to explain the things you have done. What will you do at that time? Your destruction is coming from a faraway country. Where will you run for help? Your money and your riches will not help you.
But when the other supervisors and the satraps heard about this, they were very jealous. They tried to find reasons to accuse Daniel. So they watched the things Daniel did as he went about doing the business of the government. But they could not find anything wrong with Daniel. So they could not accuse him of doing anything wrong. Daniel was a man people could trust. He did not cheat the king and he worked very hard.
A student should be satisfied to become like his teacher. A servant should be satisfied to become like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul (the devil), then the other members of the family will be called worse names!
“People will say bad things against you and hurt you. They will lie and say all kinds of evil things against you because you follow me. But when people do those things to you, know that God will bless you.
In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that people will see the good things you do. Live so that people will praise your Father in heaven.
The people saw this and they were amazed. The people praised God for giving power like this to people.
“Praise to the Lord God of Israel (the Jews).\par God has come to help his people\par and has given them freedom.\par
They will destroy you and all your people. Not one stone of your buildings will stay on top of another. All this will happen because you did not know the time when God came to save you.”
“People will hate you because you belong to the Son of Man. {\cf2\super [117]} They will make you leave their group. They will insult you. They will think it is wrong even to say your name. When these things happen, know that God will bless you.
When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man {\cf2\super [211]} receives his glory. And God receives glory through the Son of Man.
Simon (Peter) has told us how God showed his love for the non-Jewish people. For the first time, God accepted the non-Jewish people and made them his people.
Paul came into the room. The Jews who had come from Jerusalem stood around him. The Jews said that Paul had done many wrong things. But they could not prove any of these things.
We want to hear your ideas. We know that people everywhere are speaking against this group (Christians).”
If someone does wrong to you, don’t pay him back by doing wrong to him. Try to do the things that all people think are good.
We should live in a right way, like people that belong to the day. We should not have wild and wasteful parties. We should not be drunk. We should not do sexual sins or sin in any way with our bodies. We should not cause arguments and trouble or be jealous.
Any person who serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God. And that person will be accepted by other people.
Christ also did this so that the non-Jews could give glory to God for the mercy he gives to them. The Scriptures {\cf2\super [146]} say,
The secret things in that person’s heart will be made known. So that person will bow down and worship God. He will say, “Truly, God is with you.”
This is what we are proud of, and I can say with all my heart that it is true: In all the things we have done in the world, we have done everything with an honest and pure heart from God. And this is even more true in the things we have done with you. We did this by God’s grace (kindness), not by the kind of wisdom the world has.
We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. It is not important that people see that we have passed the test. But it is important that you do what is right, even if \{people think\} that we have failed the test.
We are trying to do what is right. We want to do what the Lord accepts as right and also what people think is right.
In the past, all of us lived like those people. We lived trying to please our sinful selves. We did all the things our bodies and minds wanted. We were \{evil\} people. We should have suffered God’s anger because of the way we were. We were the same as all other people.
You were taught to leave your old self. This means that you must stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self becomes worse and worse, because people are fooled by the evil things they want to do.
Be sure that you live in a way that fits the Good News {\cf2\super [11]} of Christ. Then if I come and visit you or if I am away from you, I will hear good things about you. I will hear that you continue strong with the same purpose and work together like a team for the faith (truth) that comes from the Good News.
Brothers and sisters, continue to think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.
If you do these things, then people who are not believers will respect the way you live. And you will not have to depend on other people for what you need.
You should pray for kings and for all people who have authority (power). Pray for those leaders so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives—lives full of worship and respect for God.
You are young, but don’t let any person treat you like you are not important. Be an example to show the believers how they should live. Show them with the things you say, with the way you live, with your love, with your faith, and with your pure life.
She must be known as a woman who has done good things. I mean good things like raising her children, accepting visitors in her home, washing the feet of God’s people, helping people in trouble, and using her life to do all kinds of good things.
Continue praying for us. We feel right about the things we do, because we always try to do the best thing.
Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with the things you have. God has said,
Is there any person among you who is truly wise and understanding? Then he should show his wisdom by living right. He should do good things with humility. A wise person does not boast.
So when you do good, you stop foolish people from saying stupid things about you. This is what God wants.
But answer those people in a gentle way with respect. Always be able to feel that you are doing right. When you do that, the people who say bad things about you will be made ashamed. They say these bad things about the good way you live in Christ. They will be made ashamed for the bad things they said about you.
The person who speaks should speak words from God. The person who serves should serve with the strength that God gives. You should do these things so that in everything God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Power and glory belong to him forever and ever. Amen.
In that way everything will be destroyed like I told you. So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy {\cf2\super [14]} lives and do things to serve God.
So Ruth lay near Boaz’s feet until morning. She got up while it was still dark, before it was light enough for people to recognize each other.