Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” | Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” |
He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. | And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment. |
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Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. | So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. |
But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? | If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? |
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. | And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. |
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” | Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” |
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up, Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me, So my feet did not slip. | You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great. You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. |
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. | All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. |
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? | No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. |
Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. | Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them. |
Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. | Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. For them the second death holds no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him a thousand years. |
Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool. | Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. |
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. | For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. |
Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us. | For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us. |
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. | We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. |
Go, eat your bread with joy, And drink your wine with a merry heart; For God has already accepted your works. | So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! |
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. | I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels. |
But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. | As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. |
As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. | By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. |
But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. | But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me. |
And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing. | When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin. |
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. | For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost. |
For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ | For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’ |
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. | But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. |
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. | But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers. |