| Therefore, strive to be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect. | But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. |
| Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. | God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. |
| Then he sat down, summoned the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he must become the last of all and the servant of all.” | He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” |
| Be joyful in your hope. Be patient in times of affliction. Persevere in prayer. | Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. |
| Do not let your hearts be troubled. You place your trust in God. Trust also in me. | Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. |
| Let your kindness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. | Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. |
| Finally, all of you should be united in spirit, sympathetic, filled with love for one another, compassionate, and humble. | Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. |
| Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled; be not afraid. | I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. |
| As Scripture asserts, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” | As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” |
| Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops. | Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear! |
| Be strong and courageous in your hearts, all you who place your hope in the Lord. | So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! |
| The angel answered, “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, and he will be called the Son of God.” | The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” |
| Just as in Adam all die, so all will be brought to life in Christ. | Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. |
| You are the light of the world. A city built upon a mountain cannot be hidden. | You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. |
| One person may consider one day to be more sacred than another, while another may judge all days to be alike. Let everyone be convinced in his own beliefs. | In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable. |
| Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified of them, for the Lord, your God, is going forth with you. He will never leave you or abandon you. | So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. |
| Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds, so that you will be able to discern the will of God and to know what is good and acceptable and perfect. | Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. |
| My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad. | My child, if your heart is wise, my own heart will rejoice! |
| And I heard a loud voice proclaim from the throne: “Behold, God’s dwelling is with mankind; he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and he will be their God, God-with-them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be death. Neither will there be any mourning or crying or pain, for the old order has passed away.” | I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” |
| Seek the Lord while he still may be found; call to him when he is close at hand. | Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. |
| Ensure that the path you tread is level, and then your ways will be sure. | Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. |
| Restore us, O Lord of hosts; let your face shine upon us, and we will be saved. | Turn us again to yourself, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Make your face shine down upon us. Only then will we be saved. |
| Although the mountains may be shaken and the hills may totter, my steadfast love will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will never be shaken, says the Lord who has compassion on you. | “For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the Lord, who has mercy on you. |
| Let your love be sincere. Loathe what is evil and hold fast to what is good. | Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. |
| A man’s attraction is his kindness; it is far better to be poor than to be a liar. | Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. |
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