I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. | I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! |
May the Lord, our God, be with us, just as he was with our fathers; may he not leave us or abandon us. | May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. |
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Repent, therefore, and be converted so that your sins may be wiped away. | Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. |
Teach us to comprehend how few our days are so that our hearts may be filled with wisdom. | Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. |
May mercy, peace, and love be granted you in abundance. | May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love. |
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may grow rich in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. | I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. |
May he give you your heart’s desire and grant you success in all your plans. | May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed. |
Continue in all of the ways that the Lord, your God, has commanded you. Continue in them so that you may live and prosper and that you may long dwell on the land of your inheritance. | Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy. |
Seek the Lord while he still may be found; call to him when he is close at hand. | Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. |
For I am longing to see you so that I may bestow on you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or, rather, so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. | 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. |
May the Lord grant strength to his people. May the Lord bless his people with peace. | The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. |
Salvation comes from the Lord. May your blessing be upon your people. Selah | Victory comes from you, O Lord. May you bless your people. |
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. | I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. |
Whatever you ask in my name I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. | You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. |
In that way, I can come to you in joy, if God so wills, and be refreshed together with you. | Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other. |
Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may advance on the path to salvation. | Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment. |
Seek good and not evil, so that you may live. Then the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you as you claim he is. | Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. |
Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you. | So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. |
May the favor of the Lord, our God, rest upon us. And may the work of our hands prosper— indeed, may the work of our hands prosper. | And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful! |
Teach me your ways, O Lord, so that I may walk in your truth; let me worship your name with an undivided heart. | Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you. |
May the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. | May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. |
May the God of perseverance and encouragement grant that you may live in harmony with one another, following in the example of Jesus Christ. | May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. |
For his anger lasts for only a moment, while his goodwill endures for a lifetime. Weeping may last throughout the night, but at daybreak there is rejoicing. | For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. |
A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance. | The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. |
May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. | Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. |