| But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” | But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” |
| And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. | And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. |
| If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. | Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive. |
| 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. | For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God's except the Spirit of God. |
| Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” | He replied, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.” |
| And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. | Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. |
| Now I am about to go the way of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. | And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one thing has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you; all have come to pass for you, not one of them has failed. |
| But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. | But the scripture has imprisoned all things under the power of sin, so that what was promised through faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. |
| His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. | His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. |
| For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. | For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. |
| But test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. | But test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. |
| He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” | And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” |
| Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. | Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. |
| Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. | Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. |
| 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. | For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. | Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. It is by your holding fast to the word of life. |
| Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. | Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. |
| Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. | Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect; they are not to talk back, not to pilfer, but to show complete and perfect fidelity, so that in everything they may be an ornament to the doctrine of God our Savior. |
| Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. | Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. |
| When anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. | When you realize your guilt in any of these, you shall confess the sin that you have committed. |
| Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. | So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. |
| Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. | As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything. |
| A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret. | A gossip goes about telling secrets, but one who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a confidence. |
| We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. | For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. |
Bible verse of the day
Surely God is my help;the Lord is the one who sustains me.