“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” | “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says Yahweh. |
For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. | For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. |
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But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. | But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. |
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. | For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except God’s Spirit. |
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! | You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you. |
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. | Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You perceive my thoughts from afar. |
For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours. | For a thousand years in your sight are just like yesterday when it is past, like a watch in the night. |
Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? | Or do you think that I couldn’t ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels? |
You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. | Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. |
Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. | Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is counted wise. When he shuts his lips, he is thought to be discerning. |
“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” | “Come now, and let’s reason together,” says Yahweh: “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” |
You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. | For you, God, have tested us. You have refined us, as silver is refined. |
You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself. | ‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not offer false testimony.’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ And, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ |
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! | For even though the fig tree doesn’t flourish, nor fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive fails, the fields yield no food, the flocks are cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in Yahweh. I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! |
For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. | You are my hiding place. You will preserve me from trouble. You will surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. |
For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” | For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” |
You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. | Whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. |
What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? | What is man, that you think of him? What is the son of man, that you care for him? |
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. | Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward person is decaying, yet our inward person is renewed day by day. |
But from there you will search again for the Lord your God. And if you search for him with all your heart and soul, you will find him. | But from there you shall seek Yahweh your God, and you will find him when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. |
We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. | We can’t reach the Almighty. He is exalted in power. In justice and great righteousness, he will not oppress. |
To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. | With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect. |
Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. | Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. |
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. | You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder. |
I said to the Lord, “You are my Master! Every good thing I have comes from you.” | My soul, you have said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord. Apart from you I have no good thing.” |