| This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. | The birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. When his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came to live together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. |
| The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. | The heavens were made by the word of the Lord, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. |
| 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. | Just as he came forth naked from his mother’s womb, so shall he depart, naked as he came, with nothing remaining from his labor that he can carry away in his hands. |
| Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. | Though he was in the form of God, he did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. |
| And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. | While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. |
| And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. | Joseph therefore went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David. He went to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was expecting a child. |
| No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. | No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, God, who is at the Father’s side, who has made him known. |
| How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! | How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who bears good news and proclaims glad tidings, announcing salvation and saying to Zion, “Your God is king.” |
| If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. | Who among you is wise and understanding? Prove by your good life that your works are done with the humility that comes from wisdom. |
| God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. | God’s love was revealed to us in this way: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. |
| For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. | For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may attain eternal life. |
| There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. | Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in him already stands condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. |
| So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. | And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. |
| For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. | Now this Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. |
| Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! | Blessed is the one whose offense is forgiven, whose sin is erased. |
| No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. | There is no holy one like the Lord, there is none beside you, nor is there a rock like our God. |
| For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? | Indeed, who is God except the Lord? Who is the Rock besides our God? |
| For who is God except the Lord? Who but our God is a solid rock? | For who is God except the Lord? Who is a rock aside from our God? |
| For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. | For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. |
| But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! | Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the one who sustains me. |
| This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. | This is the message that we have heard from him and that we declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. |
| Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. | Let your love be sincere. Loathe what is evil and hold fast to what is good. |
| For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. | The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. |
| And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. | And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. |
| Loyalty makes a person attractive. It is better to be poor than dishonest. | A man’s attraction is his kindness; it is far better to be poor than to be a liar. |
Related topics
Jesus
Jesus looked at them...
Life
The LORD keeps you...
God
For the LORD your...
Christmas
And she will have...
Love
Love is patient and...
Sin
Don’t you realize that...