| While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” | They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” |
| Because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. | For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. |
|
| Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. | They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. |
| And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” | “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” |
| In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.” | After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” |
| He replied, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.” | Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” |
| He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. | He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. |
| There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved. | Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. |
| If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. | If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. |
| For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human. | For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus. |
| But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” | Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” |
| Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. | Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. |
| Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. | Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. |
| Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.” | Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” |
| Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again. | He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ |
| Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. | Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. |
| Therefore I tell you, people will be forgiven for every sin and blasphemy, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. | And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. |
| Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors! | Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests. |
| Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. | Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. |
| Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. | Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. |
| Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. | So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. |
| A gift opens doors; it gives access to the great. | A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. |
| Whatever your task, put yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters, since you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward; you serve the Lord Christ. | Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. |
| If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. | If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. |
| But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” | But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” |
