| You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed. | But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. |
| For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” | For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’ |
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| Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! | Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! |
| For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed; the offspring of the wicked will perish. | For the Lord loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will die. |
| Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. | But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! |
| Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. | Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. |
| Better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. | It is better to be godly and have little than to be evil and rich. For the strength of the wicked will be shattered, but the Lord takes care of the godly. |
| The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. | The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. |
| For those who find me find life and receive favor from the Lord. | For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. |
| The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. | The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. |
| In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. | In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. |
| Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. | A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. |
| Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. | Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. |
| Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. | Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him. |
| Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. | For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. |
| This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live.” | Now this is what the Lord says to the family of Israel: “Come back to me and live!” |
| Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. | So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. |
| He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. | The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord. |
| Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. | Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord! |
| He builds his lofty palace in the heavens and sets its foundation on the earth; he calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is his name. | The Lord’s home reaches up to the heavens, while its foundation is on the earth. He draws up water from the oceans and pours it down as rain on the land. The Lord is his name! |
| Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. | Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways. Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord, but he offers his friendship to the godly. |
| Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. | Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets. |
| Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. | May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. |
| Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. | How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! |
| For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. | 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. |
