| And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | And live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. |
| All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). | All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” |
|
| As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. | As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. |
| He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” | He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” |
| I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. | I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. |
| Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. | I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. |
| A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. | For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past, or like a watch in the night. |
| If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. | If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. |
| The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” | The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.” |
| Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. | For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. |
| But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. | But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. |
| But after he had considered 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 home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” | 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.” |
| Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. | You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans. |
| My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart. | My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. |
| Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. | Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. |
| Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! | Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. |
| My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. | My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare they will give you. |
| My son, keep your father’s command and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. | My child, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. |
| Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. | Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. |
| While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. | While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. |
| For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. | For whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. |
| As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. | Just as water reflects the face, so one human heart reflects another. |
| The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it a wall too high to scale. | The wealth of the rich is their strong city; in their imagination it is like a high wall. |
| The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. | Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. |
| Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. | Your decrees are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart. |
