When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. | In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. |
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! | Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. |
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You, Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation. | But Lord, you remain the same forever! Your throne continues from generation to generation. |
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. | Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. |
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. | When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. |
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. | Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. |
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. | But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. |
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. | Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens! May your glory shine over all the earth. |
The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. | He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. |
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. | Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth. |
A fool spurns a parent’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence. | Only a fool despises a parent’s discipline; whoever learns from correction is wise. |
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. | God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. |
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. | So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. |
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. | So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. |
Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. | For you bless the godly, O Lord; you surround them with your shield of love. |
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. | But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! |
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you. | O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help. |
And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. | And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. |
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. | Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. |
Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. | Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things. Make known his praise around the world. |
But test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. | But test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. |
For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. | For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. |
All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. | Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one. |
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. | So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. |
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. | For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! |