Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. | Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. |
Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. | Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. |
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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. |
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. | The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. |
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. | 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. |
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. | For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. |
For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. | For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. |
Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name. | Help us, God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. |
Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. | Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. |
The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. | Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. |
The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. | The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. |
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being 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.” |
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. | May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. |
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. | Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. |
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. | 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. |
And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. | Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. |
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. | You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. |
Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me. | Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold. |
And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of 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. |
Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. | ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty. |
He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. | He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. |
For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. | 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. |
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. | For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. |
Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. | 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. |
The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. | The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. |