Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. | Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. |
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. | Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. |
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For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. | For I say through the grace that was given me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith. |
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. | For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. |
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. | Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. |
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. | In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor prefer one another. |
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. | Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. |
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. | Rejoicing in hope, enduring in troubles, continuing steadfastly in prayer. |
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. | Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. |
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. | Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. |
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. | Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. |
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. | If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. |
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. | Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” |
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. | Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. |
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. | Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. |
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. | For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. |
Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. | Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. |
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. | Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. |
The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” | For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” |
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. | Love doesn’t harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. |
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. | But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, for its lusts. |
Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. | Now accept one who is weak in faith, but not for disputes over opinions. |
The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. | Don’t let him who eats despise him who doesn’t eat. Don’t let him who doesn’t eat judge him who eats, for God has accepted him. |
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. | Who are you who judge another’s servant? To his own lord he stands or falls. Yes, he will be made to stand, for God has power to make him stand. |
One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. | One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. |