| A newly married man must not be drafted into the army or be given any other official responsibilities. He must be free to spend one year at home, bringing happiness to the wife he has married. | If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married. |
| Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. | Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. |
|
| A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted. | Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult. |
| You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. | You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. |
| You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. | So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. |
| So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. | Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. |
| You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. | You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. |
| Hear my prayer, O Lord! Listen to my cries for help! Don’t ignore my tears. For I am your guest— a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me. | Hear my prayer, Lord, listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my weeping. I dwell with you as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were. |
| Everyone enjoys a fitting reply; it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time! | A person finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word! |
| But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. | But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. |
| Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. | Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. |
| The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. | The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. |
| No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. | No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. |
| Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? | Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? |
| We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. | Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. |
| Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. | And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. |
| So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. | Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. |
| At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. | Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. |
| 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. | Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. |
| The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. | The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. |
| And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” | Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. |
| Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. | I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. |
| Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. | About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. |
| Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. | If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. |
| But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. | By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. |
