| In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. | In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. |
| In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. | In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. |
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| As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. | So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. |
| For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. | This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. |
| As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. | “As I began to speak,” Peter continued, “the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as he fell on us at the beginning.” |
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. | Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. |
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. | Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. |
| And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. | Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. |
| Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am he. | 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. |
| The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. | Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. |
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. | Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! |
| He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. | Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. |
| The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. | But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. |
| You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. | For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. |
| But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. | But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together. |
| He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. | For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. |
| “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” | “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” |
| Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! | Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! |
| Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. | A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. |
| Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. | That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. |
| We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. | For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. |
| It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. | It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people. |
| Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. | Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. |
| The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. | The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. |
| Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. | Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. |
