| “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” | I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” |
| For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. | Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have. |
| In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? | There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? |
| Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. | In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. |
| O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. | O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. |
| Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day. | Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt, but the Lord your God brought you out with his strong hand and powerful arm. That is why the Lord your God has commanded you to rest on the Sabbath day. |
| Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. | So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. |
| Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. | So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. |
| Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. | Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. |
| Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. | So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. |
| Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. | Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. |
| I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. | I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. |
| Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. | In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! |
| There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. | Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. |
| Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. | Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. |
| Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. | You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected. |
| Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. | Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. |
| Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. | So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing. |
| Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. | Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. |
| Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. | Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. |
| How happy is the one whom God reproves; therefore do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. | But consider the joy of those corrected by God! Do not despise the discipline of the Almighty when you sin. |
| I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. | Yes, I am confirming my covenant with you. Never again will floodwaters kill all living creatures; never again will a flood destroy the earth. |
| Now, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the Lord our God, or partiality, or taking of bribes. | Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes. |
| But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him.” | But the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.” |
| Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. | So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. |
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