Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. | The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. |
No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses 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. |
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“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. | “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” |
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 said to him, “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.” |
The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse. | 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 did not overcome it. | The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. |
The vine withers, the fig tree droops. Pomegranate, palm, and apple— all the trees of the field are dried up; surely, joy withers away among the people. | The grapevines have dried up, and the fig trees have withered. The pomegranate trees, palm trees, and apple trees— all the fruit trees—have dried up. And the people’s joy has dried up with them. |
I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and am going to the Father. | Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father. |
Who builds his upper chambers in the heavens, and founds his vault upon the earth; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out upon the surface of 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! |
Better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds 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. |
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, 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 earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those 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 commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works 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. |
The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. | The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever. |
Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat 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. |
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch 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. |
Making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. | Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. |
Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am first, and will be 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. |
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. |
And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. | 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. |
Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will 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! |
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. | May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people. |
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is 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. |
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. | 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. |