And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. | So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. |
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. | Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. |
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If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. | So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. |
But when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me. | But when you had eaten and were satisfied, you became proud and forgot me. |
For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. | Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. |
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” | Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me.” |
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. | I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. |
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. | And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. |
This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts. | This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. |
Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. | Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. |
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. | Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. |
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. | But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. |
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. | Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. |
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. | Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. |
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. | So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. |
So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. | Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. |
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. | Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. |
You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you. | You must diligently obey the commands of the Lord your God—all the laws and decrees he has given you. |
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. | And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. |
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only 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. |
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. | But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. |
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” | Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” |
The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. | Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. |
And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. | When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. |
And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us. | For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us. |