In love there is no fear; indeed, perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not yet achieved 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. |
May mercy, peace, and love be granted you in abundance. | May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love. |
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Only goodness and kindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever. | Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. |
Thus there are three things that endure: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love. | Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. |
Your kindness is a greater joy than life itself; thus my lips will speak your praise. I will bless you all my life; with uplifted hands I will call on your name. | Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. |
No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is made complete in us. | No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. |
Be mindful, O Lord, that mercy and kindness have been yours from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my many transgressions, but remember me in your kindness, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord. | Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord. |
I give you a new commandment: love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you should also love one another. | So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. |
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. | Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. |
If someone says, “I love God,” but at the same time hates his brother, he is a liar. For whoever does not love the brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. | If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? |
Keep in mind, therefore, that the Lord, your God, is God. He is a faithful God who keeps his covenant of mercy to the thousandth generation toward those who love him and observe his commandments. | Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. |
Above all, maintain the fervor of your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. | Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. |
Everything that you do should be done in love. | And do everything with love. |
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. | When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. |
Hatred stirs up strife, but love overlooks all offenses. | Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. |
But I will sing of your strength; when morning dawns, I will proclaim your kindness. For you have been my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. | But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress. |
This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. | This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. |
Beloved, since God loved us so much, we should love one another. | Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. |
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. | So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. |
The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ | A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ |
Let your love be sincere. Loathe what is evil and hold fast to what is good. | Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. |
Love is patient; love is charitable. Love is not envious; it does not have an inflated opinion of itself; it is not filled with its own importance. Love is never rude; it does not seek its own advantage. It is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over setbacks. | Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. |
Rend your hearts and not your garments, and turn back to the Lord, your God. For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, rich in kindness, and always prepared to relent from punishing. | “Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. |
No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends. | There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. |
This is the commandment we have received from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. | And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. |