“The vengeful will face

The Lord’s vengeance.

He keeps a strict account

Of their sins.

Forgive your neighbor

For the wrong he has done.

Then your sins will be pardoned

When you pray.

Does anyone harbor anger

Against another?

Can they expect healing

From the Lord?

If anyone has no mercy

Toward another like himself,

Can he then seek pardon

For his own sins?

If a mere mortal harbors wrath,

Who will make

An atoning sacrifice for his sins?”

If you are vengeful, you will have to face the vengeance of the Lord because the Lord keeps a strict account of your sins. If you forgive the sins of your neighbor, then your sins will be forgiven. When you pray, you should not be angry with someone else. How can you expect healing from the Lord, if you have not shown any mercy to others? How can you seek pardon for you own sins, if you do not forgive others? Who can atone for your sins? This idea of forgiving your neighbor will be a key component of the Christian message a few hundred years later, especially in the famous “The Lord’s Prayer.”