| Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. | Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. |
| For the customs of the peoples are vanity; for one cuts a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman with the ax. They deck it with silver and with gold. They fasten it with nails and with hammers, so that it can’t move. They are like a palm tree, of turned work, and don’t speak. They must be carried, because they can’t move. Don’t be afraid of them; for they can’t do evil, neither is it in them to do good. | For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. |
| For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. | This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. |
| You shall be holy to me, for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine. | You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. |
| Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. | Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. |
| Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. | You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. |
| For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous. | For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. |
| Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. | Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. |
| Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. | Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. |
| That if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. | If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. |
| By which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. | Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. |
| Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them, for Yahweh your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. | Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. |
| I will walk in liberty, for I have sought your precepts. | I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. |
| Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint. | Do not wear yourself out to get rich; do not trust your own cleverness. |
| You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am. | You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. |
| Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. | Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. |
| No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. | No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. |
| Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. Cleanse me from my sin. | Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. |
| Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. | Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. |
| Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. | Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children. |
| For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful. My soul knows that very well. | For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. |
| I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. | I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. |
| Having therefore these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. | Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. |
| For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. | For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. |
| Hear my prayer, Yahweh. Listen to my petitions. In your faithfulness and righteousness, relieve me. | Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. |
Bible verse of the day
Bring us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.