| 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 continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child 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. | Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. They decorate it with gold and silver and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails so it won’t fall over. Their gods are like helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field! They cannot speak, and they need to be carried because they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of such gods, for they can neither harm you nor do you any good. |
| For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. | Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. |
| 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 must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own. |
| Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. | Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He 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 may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very 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. | Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, 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. | What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow 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. | God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. |
| 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 openly declare that 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. | And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human 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. | 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. |
| I will walk in liberty, for I have sought your precepts. | I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. |
| Don’t weary yourself to be rich. In your wisdom, show restraint. | Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich. Be wise enough to know when to quit. |
| You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am. | You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s 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. | We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. |
| No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. | No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, 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, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. |
| Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. | So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. |
| Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. | Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear 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. | You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. |
| I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. | I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to 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. | Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. |
| For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. | Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. |
| Hear my prayer, Yahweh. Listen to my petitions. In your faithfulness and righteousness, relieve me. | Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my plea! Answer me because you are faithful and righteous. |
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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.