As free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. | For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. |
Set me as a seal upon your heart, As a seal upon your arm; For love is as strong as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave; Its flames are flames of fire, A most vehement flame. | Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. Love flashes like fire, the brightest kind of flame. |
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As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. | He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. |
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. | I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. |
And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. | “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning.” |
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. | I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath! |
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. | Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. |
As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. | 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. |
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.” | “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” |
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. | You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. |
And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed 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! |
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. | And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. |
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. | Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. |
Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on 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. |
See then that you 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 do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to 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. |
For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will 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. |
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ | A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ |
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. | But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. |
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. | As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. |
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. | This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. |
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. | For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. |
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. | Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. |
Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. | For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. |
As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. | As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. |