| Jesus said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” | Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” |
| Just as you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a woman’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, the Creator of all. | As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. |
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| Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. | Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. |
| Therefore, while we have the opportunity, let us labor for the good of all, but especially for those members of the household of the faith. | Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. |
| For the wages of sin is death, but the gift freely given by God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
| Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your noble confession of faith in the presence of many witnesses. | Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. |
| With our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, ignoring its shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. | Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. |
| I have not strayed from the commandments of his lips; I have treasured in my heart the words of his mouth. | I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread. |
| Hence, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. | Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. |
| 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. | The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| This water prefigured Baptism, which now saves you. It does so not by the washing away of dirt from the body but by the pledge of a good conscience given to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. | And this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. |
| Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the Church, the body of which he is the Savior. | Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. |
| 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. | So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. |
| May the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ. | May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. |
| The misfortunes of the righteous man are many, but the Lord delivers him, from all of them. | The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. |
| Do not make gods from silver or from gold instead of me. You will not make them for yourselves. | Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. |
| Do not seek to adorn yourself externally—by the braiding of your hair and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothing. Rather, let your adornment be of your inner self, the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. | Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. |
| The love of money is the root of all evils, and in their desire for it some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many serious wounds. | For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. |
| The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. | The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. |
| In Christ and through his blood we have redemption and the forgiveness of our sins. In accord with the riches of his grace. | In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. |
| I have instructed you in the ways of wisdom and led you along the paths of righteousness. | I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. |
| Each of us must consider his neighbor’s good for the purpose of building him up. | Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. |
| Therefore, whoever breaks even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever observes these commandments and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. | Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. |
| Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so whoever feeds upon me will live because of me. | Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. |
| Everyone who sins comes from the devil, for the devil has been a sinner from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very purpose: to destroy the work of the devil. | 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. |
