Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. | Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers. |
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 whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. |
|
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 shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ 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. | You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, 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. | He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 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, O God of our salvation, 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 therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. |
The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. | Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. |
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. | He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. |
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 without being born of water and Spirit.” |
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. | Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. |
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. | Making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in 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, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. |
And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. | And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. |
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. | You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore. |
Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me. | You shall not make gods of silver alongside me, nor shall you make for yourselves 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 baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. |
Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. | Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. |
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 any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water 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, 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. |
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 all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—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. | Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. |
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, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple. |