I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. | I press on toward the finishing line to win the heavenly prize to which God has called me in Christ Jesus. |
Turn my heart toward your statutes, not toward selfish gain. | Dispose my heart to follow your statutes and to flee selfish gain. |
|
May the Lord make you to increase and abound in love toward one another and toward all men, even as we also do toward you. | May the Lord cause your love to increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else, just as our love does for you. |
Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men. | Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to all those on whom his favor rests. |
Yahweh’s eyes are toward the righteous. His ears listen to their cry. | The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. |
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. | Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of your opportunity. Let your speech always be gracious and seasoned with wisdom, so that you will know how to respond properly to all. |
Why do you set your eyes on that which is not? For it certainly sprouts wings like an eagle and flies in the sky. | When you fix your gaze upon it, it is gone before you realize it. For it suddenly sprouts wings and flies up to the sky like an eagle. |
Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let’s press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. | Therefore, let us leave behind the basic teaching about Christ and advance toward maturity. We must not be forever laying the foundation: repentance for actions that lead to death, faith in God, instruction about baptisms and the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. |
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.” | For I know full well the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for your misfortune, plans that will offer you a future filled with hope. |
Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. | Live in harmony with one another. Do not consider yourself to be better than others, but associate with the lowly, and never be conceited. |
Now the God of perseverance and of encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus. | May the God of perseverance and encouragement grant that you may live in harmony with one another, following in the example of Jesus Christ. |
This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. | This water prefigured Baptism, which now saves you. It does so not by the washing away of dirt from the body but by the pledge of a good conscience given to God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. |
So then, as we have opportunity, let’s do what is good toward all men, and especially toward those who are of the household of the faith. | Therefore, while we have the opportunity, let us labor for the good of all, but especially for those members of the household of the faith. |
This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. | And thus we can have confidence in him that if we ask anything that is in accordance with his will, he hears us. |
For God is not unrighteous, so as to forget your work and the labor of love which you showed toward his name, in that you served the saints, and still do serve them. | For God would not be so unjust as to ignore your work and the love that you have shown for his name by the services you have rendered to the saints and still continue to render. |
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more. | I shall forgive them for their wicked deeds, and I shall remember their sins no more. |
We are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers, even as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of each and every one of you toward one another abounds. | Brethren, we must always give thanks to God for you, and it is only right that we do so. For your faith grows ever more, and the love that all of you have for one another continues to increase. |
Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. | Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we can approach God with confidence and receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do whatever is pleasing to him. |
For one will hardly die for a righteous man. Yet perhaps for a good person someone would even dare to die. But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. | Indeed, it is seldom that anyone will die for a just person, although perhaps for a good person someone might be willing to die. Thus, God proved his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. |
Yahweh bless you, and keep you. Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace. | The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord shine his face upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace. |
While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky, will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.” | While he was departing as they gazed upward toward the sky, suddenly two men dressed in white robes stood beside them, and they said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking up into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” |
By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him. | God’s love was revealed to us in this way: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. |
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, always having all sufficiency in everything, may abound to every good work. | And God is able to enrich you with an abundance of every grace, so that, with all of your needs provided for, you may be able to produce a surplus of good works. |
Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. | Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. |
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. | I consider that the sufferings we presently endure are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed in us. |