| Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! | Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! |
| Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! | Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever. |
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| Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. | Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! |
| Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. | Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker. |
| Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. | Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. |
| How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. | How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you. You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world. |
| Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. | Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. |
| Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. | Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! |
| I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. | I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. |
| 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. | Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. |
| I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you. | I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free. |
| John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. | John’s clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. |
| Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” | Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.” |
| If you love me, keep my commands. | If you love me, obey my commandments. |
| We love because He first loved us. | We love each other because he loved us first. |
| He must become greater; I must become less. | He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. |
| Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. | Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. |
| So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. | So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. |
| I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. | No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. |
| My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. | This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. |
| If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. | If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. |
| Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. | But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. |
| Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. | Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. |
| Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. | Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. |
| You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. | You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. |
