| The birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. When his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came to live together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. | This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. |
| No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is made complete in us. | No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. |
| By faith Abraham also received the power of procreation, even though he was well past the age—and Sarah herself was barren—because he believed that the one who had made the promise would be faithful in fulfilling it. | And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. |
| This is how we know what love is: he laid down his life for us, and we in turn must be prepared to lay down our lives for our brethren. | This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. |
| Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your kindness and faithfulness. | Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. |
| The father of a good man will rejoice; he who begets a wise son will delight in him. | The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. |
| Our temporary light afflictions are preparing for us an incomparable weight of eternal glory. | For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. |
| Cure the sick who are there, and say, ‘The kingdom of God has come unto you.’ | Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ |
| For the Lord, your God, is gracious and compassionate, and he will not turn his face away from you if you return to him. | For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him. |
| He did not spare his own Son but gave him up for all of us. How then can he fail also to give us everything else along with him? | He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? |
| Thus you could understand that the Lord, your God, was disciplining you, just like a father disciplines his son. | Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. |
| God saved us and called us to a life of holiness, not because of our works but according to his own purpose and the grace that has been bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus from all eternity. | He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. |
| Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. | Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. |
| My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad. | My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed. |
| This is how we can be certain that we abide in him and that he abides in us: he has given us a share in his Spirit. | This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. |
| Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that weighs us down and the sins that so easily distract us and with perseverance run the race that lies ahead of us. | Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. |
| 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. | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. |
| Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. | Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! |
| Yet even so, because of your great compassion, you did not completely destroy them, nor did you forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. | But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. |
| All this took place in order to fulfill what the Lord had announced through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” a name that means “God is with us.” | All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). |
| His divine power has bestowed on us everything that is necessary for life and for devotion through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue. | His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. |
| Just as you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a woman’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, the Creator of all. | As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. |
| What then can we say in response to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us? | What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? |
| For your kindness extends to the heavens; your faithfulness, to the skies. | For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. |
| Jesus answered, “If it is possible! All things are possible for one who has faith.” | “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” |
Bible verse of the day
Teach me to do your will,for you are my God.
Let your gracious Spirit lead me
along a level path.