I will make haste and not delay to observe your precepts. | I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. |
Wealth hastily acquired will dwindle away, but when amassed little by little, it will increase. | Wealth from get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows over time. |
For as it is written, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has the human heart imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” | That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” |
He said to them in reply, “Anyone who has two coats must share with the person who has none, and whoever has food must do likewise.” | John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” |
Blessed is the person who has found wisdom, the one who has gained understanding. | Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. |
Arise and shine forth, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you. | Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. |
As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. | The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. |
No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, who has made him known. | 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. |
Consequently, anyone united to Christ is a new creation. The old order has passed away. Behold, all has become new. | This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! |
For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. Upon his shoulders dominion rests, and this is the name he has been given: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. | For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. |
He has made everything suitable for its time, and he has given men a sense of past and future, but they never have the slightest comprehension of what God has wrought from beginning to end. | Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. |
All this has been done by God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and entrusted us with the ministry of reconciliation. | 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. |
For the Son of Man has come to seek out and to save what was lost. | For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. |
He has satisfied the thirsty and filled the hungry with good things. | For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. |
Bear with one another, and forgive one another if anyone has reason to be offended with another. You must forgive just as the Lord has forgiven you. | Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. |
Such hope will not be doomed to disappointment, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. | 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. |
But Jesus has now received a ministry that is far superior, for he is the mediator of a far better covenant that has been established on better promises. | But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. |
This is the day that the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice in it. | This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. |
Cure the sick who are there, and say, ‘The kingdom of God has come unto you.’ | Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ |
I love the Lord because he has heard my voice and listened to my cry for mercy, because he has inclined his ear to me on the day when I called out to him. | I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath! |
Fear not, little flock, for your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom. | So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. |
In love there is no fear; indeed, perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not yet achieved perfection in love. | Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. |
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. |
Jesus replied, “This is the work of God: to believe in the one whom he has sent.” | Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” |
Blessed is the man who perseveres when he is tempted, for when he has been proven, he will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. | God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. |