| And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law. | And ‘to love him with all your heart, and with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself,’ is worth more than any burnt offerings and sacrifices. |
| For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. | Indeed, the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-edged sword, it pierces to the point where it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and the intentions of the heart. |
| Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. | Let us examine and test our ways and return to the Lord. |
| For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. | For light produces all goodness and righteousness and truth. |
| Whoever pursues righteousness and unfailing love will find life, righteousness, and honor. | Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor too. |
| Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. | Anyone who has received my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him. |
| And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. | I will put my Spirit in you and make you follow my statutes and my ordinances. |
| The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. | The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in kindness. |
| Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. | Speak out and pronounce righteous judgments; defend the rights of the wretched and the poor. |
| “Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. | Rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn back to the Lord, your God. For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and always prepared to relent from punishing. |
| Give justice to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. | Grant justice to the weak and the orphan; defend the rights of the lowly and the poor. |
| Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. | And if then my people who bear my name humble themselves and pray to me and seek my presence as they turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them from heaven and forgive their sins and restore their land. |
| Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. | Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where they will be destroyed by moth and rust and where thieves break in and steal. Rather, store up treasure for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves cannot break in and steal. |
| Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” | Come to me, all you who are weary and overburdened, and I will give you rest. |
| All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. | They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers. |
| Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. | Examine me, O God, and know my heart; test me and understand my thoughts. See if I follow an evil way, and guide me on the way to eternity. |
| I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. | I reprove and discipline all those whom I love. Therefore, be sincere in your desire to repent. |
| Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light. | Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. |
| Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. | Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. |
| Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. | Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. |
| In those days when you pray, I will listen. | When you call out to me and come forth and pray to me, I will listen to you. |
| Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. | God said, “Let there be light!” And there was light. |
| The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. | The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. |
| Serve only the Lord your God and fear him alone. Obey his commands, listen to his voice, and cling to him. | It is the Lord, your God, whom you are to follow. You must fear him and observe his commandments and obey what he tells you and serve him and hold fast to him. |
| And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. | May the Lord cause your love to increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else, just as our love does for you. |
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