| 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. | Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. |
| By his own choice he gave us birth through the way of truth so that we may be a kind of firstfruits of all his creation. | He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. |
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| And thus we can have confidence in him that if we ask anything that is in accordance with his will, he hears us. | This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. |
| I then heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” I said, “Here I am. Send me!” | Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” |
| Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? | Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? |
| Our temporary light afflictions are preparing for us an incomparable weight of eternal glory. | For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. |
| This is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. | This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. |
| However, God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit explores everything, even the depths of God. | These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. |
| I consider that the sufferings we presently endure are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed in us. | I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. |
| Let us remain firm in the confession of our hope without wavering, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. | Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. |
| Not because of any righteous deeds on our part but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. | He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. |
| It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Therefore, stand firm and refuse to submit again to the yoke of slavery. | It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. |
| Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace when we are in need of help. | Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. |
| 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 love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. |
| This is how we know what love is: he laid down his life for us, and we in turn must be prepared to lay down our lives for our brethren. | This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. |
| You will again show us compassion and wash away our guilt; you will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. | You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. |
| This is the day that the Lord has made; let us exult and rejoice in it. | The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. |
| 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. | This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. |
| Who then can separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? | Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? |
| Let us then make every effort to enter into that rest, so that no one may fall by following that example of refusing to believe. | Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. |
| Let us never grow weary in doing what is right, for if we do not give up, we will reap our harvest in due time. | Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. |
| We have come to know and to believe in the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. | And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. |
| Until a spirit from on high is poured out upon us, and the wilderness becomes an orchard and the fruitful field becomes a forest. | Till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. |
| 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. | The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| Blessed be the God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. | Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. |
