| “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” | For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. |
| For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. | For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. |
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| No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. | For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. |
| For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. | For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. |
| O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. | O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. |
| Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. | Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. |
| “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” | For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. |
| Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. | Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. |
| When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. | In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. |
| You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! | Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. |
| And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” | And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. |
| Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise. | Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. |
| Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. | Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. |
| And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. | Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. |
| For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. | For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us. |
| And forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. | And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. |
| And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful! | And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. |
| Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. | Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. |
| Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God and only later counting the cost. | It is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy, and after vows to make enquiry. |
| So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer. | So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us. |
| But I will be merciful only if you stop your evil thoughts and deeds and start treating each other with justice; only if you stop exploiting foreigners, orphans, and widows; only if you stop your murdering; and only if you stop harming yourselves by worshiping idols. Then I will let you stay in this land that I gave to your ancestors to keep forever. | For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. |
| May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us. | The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us. |
| 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 in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. |
| 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 thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. |
| Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. | But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. |
