| Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works. | So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! |
| Do not say, “Why were the former days better than these?” For you do not inquire wisely concerning this. | Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise. |
| Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. | No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. |
| There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. | So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. |
| Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. | For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. |
| You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you. | You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way. |
| 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. |
| If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. | If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. |
| There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? | God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? |
| Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. | He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. |
| It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows. | Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. |
| But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. | But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” | This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” |
| These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. | I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! |
| But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. | Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. |
| And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. | And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. |
| For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. | The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. |
| My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me. | My future is in your hands. Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly. |
| It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel. | Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling. |
| And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. | And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! |
| Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. | And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. |
| Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.” | Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.” |
| And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” | Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” |
| And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. | Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. |
| But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” | Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” |
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