The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. | May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. |
Blessings are showered on the head of the righteous, but sorrow will cover the face of the wicked. | The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. |
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Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. | Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. |
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. | For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. |
Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” | Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” |
Preferable is the little that the righteous possess than the great wealth of the wicked. For the power of the wicked will be overcome, but the Lord protects the righteous. | It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly. |
Now this Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. |
The lips of the righteous utter words of kindness, but the mouth of the wicked knows only how to pervert. | The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words. |
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has been unable to overcome it. | The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. |
I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and returning to the Father. | Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father. |
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the company of scoffers. | Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. |
He builds his upper chambers in the heavens and establishes his vault of the sky over the earth— the Lord is his name. | The Lord’s home reaches up to the heavens, while its foundation is on the earth. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The Lord is his name! |
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. | The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. |
Everyone who sins comes from the devil, for the devil has been a sinner from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very purpose: to destroy the work of the devil. | But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. |
However, the gift is not like the transgression. For if the transgression of one man led to the death of the many, how much greater was the overflowing effect of the grace of God and the gift of the one man Jesus Christ that has abounded for the many. | But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. |
The grass may wither and the flower may fade, but the word of our God will endure forever. | The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever. |
The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright, but destruction for evildoers. | The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. |
Who has performed these deeds and accomplished this? Who has summoned the nations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am the first, and I will be there with the last. | Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am he. |
Make every possible effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. | Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. |
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but worldly cares and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. | The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. |
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer. However, the face of the Lord is set against those who do evil. | The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil. |
And the one who searches hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. | And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. |
If the Lord does not build the house, those who construct it labor in vain. If the Lord does not guard the city, those who keep watch over it do so in vain. | Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. |
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. | The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. |
Even though the fig tree does not blossom and there is no fruit on the vines, even though the olive crop will fail and the orchards will yield no food, even though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, I will continue to rejoice in the Lord, and exult in the God of my salvation. | Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! |