| A gift opens doors; it gives access to the great. | A gift opens the way and ushers the giver into the presence of the great. |
| Bear fruit worthy of repentance. | Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. |
| You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans. | Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. |
| Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. | In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. |
| 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. | 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. |
| If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. | The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. |
| So that by God's will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. | So that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. | So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. |
| The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility goes before honor. | Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor. |
| Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path. | Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. |
| 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.” | 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.” |
| Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. | Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. |
| From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so. | Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. |
| And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. | Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. |
| One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” | One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” |
| In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. | So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. |
| In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. | He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. |
| When you realize your guilt in any of these, you shall confess the sin that you have committed. | When anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. |
| Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? | Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. |
| Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish. | Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish. |
| Just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. | Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. |
| And live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. |
| Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. | Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. |
| And having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. | And, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. |
Bible verse of the day
O Lord, all my longing is known to you;my sighing is not hidden from you.