But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. | But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. |
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. | So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. |
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It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. | Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you. |
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. | When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. |
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. | This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. |
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. | All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. |
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. | Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” |
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. | I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! |
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. | So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. |
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. | The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” |
Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord! | So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! |
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. | Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. |
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. | Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. |
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. | I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. |
In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty. | Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! |
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. | I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. |
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. | Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. |
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. | For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! |
Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. | Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. |
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? | What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? |
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus. | May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. |
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands! | And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful! |
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. | What is the price of five sparrows—two copper coins? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. |
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. | That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. |
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. | We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. |