I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, 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. |
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For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. | 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 and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever. | And the world with all its enticements is passing away, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. |
Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, 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 child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them 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 hurry 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 disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God's wrath. | 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. |
Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way. | The Lord makes a man’s steps secure when he approves of his conduct. |
I the Lord am your God; follow my statutes, and be careful to observe my ordinances, and hallow my sabbaths that they may be a sign between me and you, so that you may know that I the Lord am 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. |
Thus you shall keep my commandments and observe them: I am the Lord. | You shall observe my commandments and obey them. I am the Lord. |
Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you 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 those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their 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 regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became 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 obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole 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 child, 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. |
Therefore 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. |
Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly 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 and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. | 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 having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for 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 follow my statutes and keep my commandments and observe them faithfully, I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce, 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. |
Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs. | 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. |
You must diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his decrees, and his statutes that 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. |
Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. | Acquire wisdom and gain understanding; never forget or turn aside from my words. |