| While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent. | In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. |
| In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I am not afraid; what can flesh do to me? | In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? |
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| Let all that you do be done in love. | Do everything in love. |
| So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. | Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. |
| In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that mortals may not find out anything that will come after them. | When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. |
| Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” | Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” |
| To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles. | But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles. |
| For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well. | For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. |
| Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. | Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. |
| Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind and to things that should not be done. | They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. |
| Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. | Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. |
| Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. | You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. |
| I, I am he who comforts you; why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die, a human being who fades like grass? | I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass. |
| For they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. | They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. |
| My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. | My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. |
| If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. | If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. |
| Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things. | You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. |
| As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him. | As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him. |
| Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. | Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. |
| Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life—so that nothing may hinder your prayers. | Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. |
| In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. | So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. |
| Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation. | Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. |
| But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. | But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. |
| He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. | And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. |
| Do not deprive one another except perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer, and then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. | Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. |
