| My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass. | Let my teaching fall on you like rain; let my speech settle like dew. Let my words fall like rain on tender grass, like gentle showers on young plants. |
| But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. | Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. |
|
| And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. | A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ |
| And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. | And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. |
| Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. | Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. |
| Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. | In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. |
| And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. | When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! |
| Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. | This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. |
| See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, 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. |
| And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. | Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. |
| Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. | Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” |
| For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. | Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. |
| Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. | Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. |
| Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. | But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. |
| Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. | Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. |
| But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. | But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. |
| As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. | God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. |
| But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. | So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. |
| This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. | This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. |
| As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. | God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. |
| For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. | When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. |
| For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. | Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. |
| Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. | Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. |
| The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar. | Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. |
| Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. | You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” |
