I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. | I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart. |
But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. | But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. |
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Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. | Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. |
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? | Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? |
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you. | And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. |
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. | Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. |
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” | But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” |
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. | Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. |
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” | Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” |
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. | But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. |
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” | Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” |
I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God's gift to man. | So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God. |
I give them eternal life, and 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, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one. | 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. |
Then I saw that all toil and all skill in work come from a man's envy of his neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. | Then I observed that most people are motivated to success because they envy their neighbors. But this, too, is meaningless—like chasing the wind. |
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. | For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. |
As he came from his mother's womb he shall go again, naked as he came, and shall take nothing for his toil that he may carry away in his hand. | We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. |
If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer. | If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his sight, obeying his commands and keeping all his decrees, then I will not make you suffer any of the diseases I sent on the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you. |
So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. | Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. |
And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” | He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” |
I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. | All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. |
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. | Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. |
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. | Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. |
So you shall keep my commandments and do them: I am the Lord. | You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord. |
God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! | Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him. |
And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. | Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. |