| O Israel, my faithless people, come home to me again, for I am merciful. I will not be angry with you forever. | ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will frown on you no longer, for I am faithful,’ declares the Lord, ‘I will not be angry forever.’ |
| Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father. | I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. |
| I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified. | No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. |
| Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge. | Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. |
| And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. | I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. |
| I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. | Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. |
| In this way, I will show my greatness and holiness, and I will make myself known to all the nations of the world. Then they will know that I am the Lord. | And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord. |
| I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. | I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. |
| I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. | I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. |
| I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” | I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” |
| Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. | Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. |
| So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. | A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. |
| I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. | When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. |
| For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. | For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. |
| I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. | I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. |
| 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 unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. |
| My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. | I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. |
| Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die. | Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. |
| I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. | I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land. |
| I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. | I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. |
| I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? | My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? |
| I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. | I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands. |
| I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear? | I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass. |
| There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? | My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? |
| When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. | When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. |
Bible verse of the day
Take delight in the Lord,and he will give you your heart’s desires.