You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. | You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery;’ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. |
If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? | If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? |
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Take care of any widow who has no one else to care for her. | Honor widows who are widows indeed. |
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. | And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you. |
Of all the marine animals, you may eat whatever has both fins and scales. You may not, however, eat marine animals that do not have both fins and scales. They are ceremonially unclean for you. | These you may eat of all that are in the waters: you may eat whatever has fins and scales. You shall not eat whatever doesn’t have fins and scales. It is unclean to you. |
Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. | Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure. |
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. | For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we would live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age. |
And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. | This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother. |
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! | I love Yahweh, because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy. Because he has turned his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. |
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. | We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. |
Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. | Give thanks to Yahweh! Call on his name! Make his doings known among the peoples. |
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. | There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. |
This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. | By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already. |
Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. | For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise. |
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. | For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. |
For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God. | For every house is built by someone; but he who built all things is God. |
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. | But I trust in your loving kindness. My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to Yahweh, because he has been good to me. |
For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. | For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith. |
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. | But if anyone doesn’t provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. |
So go ahead. Eat your food with joy, and drink your wine with a happy heart, for God approves of this! | Go your way—eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works. |
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.’ | For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’ |
Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life. | Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death. |
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one. | I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one. |
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. | Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with him one thousand years. |
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. | Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. |