| Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. | A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” |
| Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? | No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. |
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| Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. | The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! |
| But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. | But the one who endures to the end will be saved. |
| For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. | God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. |
| The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. | He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. |
| For he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. | He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. |
| Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. | We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. |
| Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. | And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. |
| 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.’ |
| When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. | But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. |
| The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. | The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free. |
| For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. | The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. |
| Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. | Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. |
| The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him. | The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. |
| So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. | So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. |
| Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. | Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. |
| Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. | Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. |
| And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. | But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. |
| May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. | Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him. |
| For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. | For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. |
| For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. | For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. |
| 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 is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. | He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. |
| The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. | May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. |
