| For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. |
| This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. | This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. |
| Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. | So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. |
| But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. | If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. |
| Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. | Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. |
| Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. | This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! |
| Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. | God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. |
| But sexual immorality, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be mentioned among you, as becomes saints. | Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. |
| For this cause a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh. | As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” |
| He who loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. | Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! |
| See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all. | See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. |
| You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God; for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who misuses his name. | You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. |
| Therefore watch carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. | So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. |
| For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision amounts to anything, but faith working through love. | For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. |
| We have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. | But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. |
| Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to 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. |
| I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. | Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. |
| Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance. | Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. |
| But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation. | And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. |
| For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous. | Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. |
| Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. | Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. |
| One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. | In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. |
| When goods increase, those who eat them are increased; and what advantage is there to its owner, except to feast on them with his eyes? | The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! |
| That as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. | So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. |
| For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning. | For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. |
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