I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me? | See, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me? |
O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! | Ah Lord God! It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. |
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Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave. | The hand of the diligent will rule, while the lazy will be put to forced labor. |
Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. | Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. |
I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. | With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. |
Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. | Wealth hastily gotten will dwindle, but those who gather little by little will increase it. |
Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. | Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. |
Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty! | In all toil there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty. |
I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. | I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. |
That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. | Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. |
Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life. | In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them. |
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. | For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. |
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. | Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. |
In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. | Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. |
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. | Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. |
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? | Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? |
You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. | Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it. |
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. | If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. |
Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. | Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. | Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. |