| As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him. | The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. |
| Therefore, a Sabbath rest still remains for the people of God, since those who enter into God’s rest also cease from their own labors as God did from his. | So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. |
| The Lord will battle for you. Be calm! | The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. |
| When they arrest you and bring you to trial, do not be concerned beforehand about what you are to say. Simply say whatever is given to you when that time comes, for it will not be you who speak but the Holy Spirit. | But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit. |
| Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you previously, that no one who does such things will inherit the kingdom of God. | When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. |
| Each person should give as much as he has decided in his heart, not with reluctance or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. | You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” |
| If your brother wrongs you, go and take up the matter with him when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. | If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. |
| If we are diligent in observing all of these commandments before the Lord, our God, as he commanded of us, then this will be our righteousness. | For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the Lord our God has given us. |
| The wealthy man lords it over the poor, and the borrower becomes the slave of the lender. | Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender. |
| While physical training has some value, the benefits of godliness are unlimited, since it holds out promise not only for this life but also for the life to come. | Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come. |
| The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is filled with his kindness. | He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. |
| For as it is written, “Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has the human heart imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” | That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” |
| All you need to do is to say ‘Yes’ if you mean ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ if you mean ‘No.’ Anything beyond this comes from the evil one. | Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one. |
| Every word you utter is true, and all your righteous judgments are everlasting. | The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. |
| Let your love be sincere. Loathe what is evil and hold fast to what is good. | Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. |
| Recognizing that laws are not designed for the upright. They are for the lawless and insubordinate, for the godless and sinful, for the unholy and irreligious; they are for those who slay their fathers and mothers, for murderers, for those who are fornicators, sodomites, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and for whatever else is contrary to the sound teaching that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which has been entrusted to me. | For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God. |
| After he had decided to follow this course of action, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to receive Mary into your home as your wife. For this child has been conceived in her womb through the Holy Spirit.” | As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit.” |
| But the Almighty we cannot find; he is unequaled in power and judgment, and in his righteousness he will not violate justice. | We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. |
| And the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I wish to make another creature who will be like him.” | Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” |
| For I handed on to you as of primary importance what I received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried and that he was raised to life on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. | I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. |
| Keep falsehood and lying far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but simply provide me with the food that I need. | First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. |
| Let us never grow weary in doing what is right, for if we do not give up, we will reap our harvest in due time. | So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. |
| As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. | For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. |
| You will not add to what I command you, nor will you take away from it, so that you might observe the commandments of the Lord, your God, that I am giving you. | Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you. |
| For since death came into the world through a man, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a man. | So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. |
Related topics
Love
Love is patient; love...
Sin
Are you not aware...
Law
You shall keep these...
Righteousness
Whoever pursues righteousness and...
Reliability
However, the Lord is...
Speaking
The tongue has the...