Until at last the Spirit is poured out on us from heaven. Then the wilderness will become a fertile field, and the fertile field will yield bountiful crops. | Until the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is considered a forest. |
And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. | And hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. |
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You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless. | You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child. If you take advantage of them at all, and they cry at all to me, I will surely hear their cry; and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. |
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” | Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.” |
He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. | Not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. |
Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? | Or do you think that I couldn’t ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? |
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. | 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. |
Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled. | For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through perseverance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. |
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. | Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen. |
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. | But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation. |
Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. | Charge those who are rich in this present age that they not be arrogant, nor have their hope set on the uncertainty of riches, but on the living God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. |
Give us today the food we need. | Give us today our daily bread. |
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. | For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. |
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. | For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. |
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. | Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people for his own possession, zealous for good works. |
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. |
No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. | No one has seen God at any time. The only born Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him. |
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. | The Word became flesh and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. |
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. | In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered. |
For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. | For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps. |
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. | Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path. |
For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? | For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God? |
For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? | For who is God, besides Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God? |
Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” | Paul said, “John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus.” |
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. | See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. |