| If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. | But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! |
| And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” | I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” |
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| Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. | So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! |
| Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. | Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. |
| Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! | Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. |
| They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” | They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” |
| Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. | Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. |
| And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. | You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. |
| I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. | Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. |
| Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. | Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you. |
| But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. | But ‘God made them male and female’ from the beginning of creation. ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together. |
| Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. | Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! |
| Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. | Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. |
| But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. | But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. |
| Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise. | O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if you save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for you alone! |
| Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. | So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. |
| Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave. | But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. |
| “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” | “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’” And he said, “‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’ Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.” |
| So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. | And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. |
| Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” | And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang: “Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.” |
| And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. | Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. |
| Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. | This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. |
| For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. | Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. |
| I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. | I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High. |
| You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. | Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. |
