Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. | You intended to do evil to me, but God decided to make it serve a good, to fulfill that which today has come true: to keep alive a numerous people. |
Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. | Welcome anyone whose faith is weak, but do not get into arguments about doubts. |
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But you, O Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. | But you, O Lord, are a shield to protect me; you are my glory and the one who raises my head high. |
I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth. | Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. |
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. | Call to me and I will answer you and reveal to you great and mysterious secrets about which you are unaware. |
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist. | Do not wear yourself out in the pursuit of wealth, and cease even to think about it. |
Wealth is a ransom for a person's life, but the poor get no threats. | A wealthy man pays a ransom to save his life; a poor man never has to worry about such threats. |
Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. | Do not assert that the past was better than the present, for such a statement is not a sign of wisdom. |
But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” | After he had decided to follow this course of action, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to receive Mary into your home as your wife. For this child has been conceived in her womb through the Holy Spirit.” |
Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. | They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and offered worship and service to the creature rather than to the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural practices. Likewise, men gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameful acts with men and received in their own persons the fitting penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since these people did not see fit to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their depraved way of thinking and to all types of vile behavior. |
You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah | You are a place of refuge for me; you preserve me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah |
So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. | So then, faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. |
Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. | John’s clothing was made of camel’s hair, with a leather loincloth around his waist, and his food consisted of locusts and wild honey. |
But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. | But he is to ask with faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind. |
I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought your precepts. | I will walk in complete freedom because I have sought your commands. |
So we fasted and petitioned our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty. | Therefore, we fasted and prayed to God to grant us a safe journey, and he answered our prayer. |
I will make them and the region around my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing. | I will make them and the region surrounding my hill a blessing, and I will send them rain in due season that will be showers of blessing. |
Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. | Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and allow no opportunity for the flesh to gratify its sinful desires. |
Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. | Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your noble confession of faith in the presence of many witnesses. |
Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and of people. | Do not let kindness and fidelity leave you; fasten them around your neck and inscribe them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will gain favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. |
Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists,” and that “there is no God but one.” | Now in regard to the eating of meat sacrificed to idols, we know that idols are nothing in the world and that there is only one God. |
Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the orphan who had no helper. The blessing of the wretched came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. | Because I delivered the poor who appealed for help and the orphan who had no one to protect him. The blessing of the wretched was given to me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. |
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. | Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sins that so easily distract us and with perseverance run the race that lies ahead of us. |
Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. | Therefore, do not allow anyone to pass judgment on you in regard to what you eat or drink, or about the observance of Festivals, New Moons, or Sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come. The reality is Christ. |
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” | “But you,” he said to them, “who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” |