I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. | Therefore, brethren, I implore you by the mercies of God to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God—a spiritual act of worship. |
So that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. | In that way, I can come to you in joy, if God so wills, and be refreshed together with you. |
|
For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. | For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the Spirit, and those of the Spirit are opposed to the flesh. They are in conflict with one another, so that you cannot do what you want. |
And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. | And the world with all its enticements is passing away, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. |
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. | Does it now appear to you that I am trying to gain the approval of human beings rather than the approval of God? Am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. |
My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. | My son, concentrate attentively on my words; pay heed to the instructions I pass on to you. Do not let them slip from your mind; keep them forever in your heart. |
I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments. | I will make haste and not delay to observe your precepts. |
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. | Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him. |
The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way. | The Lord makes a man’s steps secure when he approves of his conduct. |
I am the Lord your God; walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules, and keep my Sabbaths holy that they may be a sign between me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God. | I, the Lord, am your God. You must obey my laws and be careful to observe my ordinances. Keep holy my Sabbaths as a sign between me and you so that you will know that I am the Lord, your God. |
So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the Lord. | You shall observe my commandments and obey them. I am the Lord. |
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. | Behold, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with that person and that person with me. |
But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. | However, the one who looks intently at the perfect law of freedom and perseveres—not forgetting what he has heard but putting it into practice—will be blessed in everything he does. |
Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. |
Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine. | Now, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession from among all the peoples, for the entire earth is mine. |
Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. | Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. |
Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. | Listen, my son, and take my words to heart, and the years of your life will be multiplied. |
So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. | Therefore, observe the commandments of the Lord, your God. Walk in his ways and fear him. |
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” | Then Peter addressed them: “I now understand how true it is that God has no favorites, but that in every nation all those who fear God and do what is right are acceptable to him.” |
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. | Therefore, brethren, be diligent in providing a firm foundation for your call and election. If you do this, you will never stumble, and you will receive a glorious welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. |
And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. | And when he had been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. |
If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. | Follow my statutes and keep my commandments and obey them. Then I will give you rain in its proper season and the yield of the land shall increase and the trees of the field shall bear their fruit. |
You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. | You shall take heed to observe the commandments of the Lord, your God, and the decrees and statutes that he has given to you. |
Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. | Let us then make every effort to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall by following that example of refusing to believe. |
Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. | Acquire wisdom and gain understanding; never forget or turn aside from my words. |