| May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. | And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful! |
| The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing. | The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing. |
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| For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. | For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. |
| A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. | A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart. |
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. | Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. |
| The lips of the righteous know what finds favor, but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse. | The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words. |
| 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. |
| Blessings crown the head of the righteous, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked. | The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. |
| By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. | The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. |
| For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. | For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins. |
| Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. | Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. |
| Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. | Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. |
| For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. |
| But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. | But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. |
| Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! | Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! |
| And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. | And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. |
| One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. | The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. |
| The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. | The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. |
| Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. | Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children. |
| Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. | You who love the Lord, hate evil! He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. |
| I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. | I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. |
| For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. | For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. |
| He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. | He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. |
| The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. | The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. |
| For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. | For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. |
