| Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! | Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!” |
| When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. | When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. |
| For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. | For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established; that is, that I with you may be encouraged in you, each of us by the other’s faith, both yours and mine. |
| I have not departed from his commands, but have treasured his words more than daily food. | I haven’t gone back from the commandment of his lips. I have treasured up the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. |
| Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. | I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. |
| If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. | If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. |
| I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. | I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, as much as in all riches. |
| 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. | I ate no pleasant food. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled. |
| For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. | I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. |
| “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” | “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.” |
| Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. | I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. |
| I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. | I know how to be humbled, and I also know how to abound. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. |
| The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. | One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. |
| Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. | Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with me. |
| Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. | Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. |
| But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. | But I will sing of your strength. Yes, I will sing aloud of your loving kindness in the morning. For you have been my high tower, a refuge in the day of my distress. |
| You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own. | You shall be holy to me, for I, Yahweh, am holy, and have set you apart from the peoples, that you should be mine. |
| You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. | You call me, ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord.’ You say so correctly, for so I am. |
| Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. | Since you have been precious and honored in my sight, and I have loved you, therefore I will give people in your place, and nations instead of your life. |
| Who has done such mighty deeds, summoning each new generation from the beginning of time? It is I, the Lord, the First and the Last. I alone am he. | Who has worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last, I am he. |
| Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” | But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. |
| In those days when you pray, I will listen. | You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. |
| I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. | I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit. |
| “Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord. | “Can anyone hide himself in secret places so that I can’t see him?” says Yahweh. “Don’t I fill heaven and earth?” says Yahweh. |
| The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? | Yahweh is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? |
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