You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law. | We, being Jews by nature and not Gentile sinners, yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law. |
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. |
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So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?” | So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?” |
For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. | For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. |
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. | No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. |
Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. | Yes, in the way of your judgments, Yahweh, we have waited for you. Your name and your renown are the desire of our soul. |
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. | Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. |
Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. | 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. |
Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the Lord our God. | Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we trust in the name of Yahweh our God. |
Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. | As sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things. |
We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him. | We are his witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. |
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. | This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. |
So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. | While we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. |
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. | No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us. |
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. | We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. |
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. | See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. |
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way. | For we all stumble in many things. Anyone who doesn’t stumble in word is a perfect person, able to bridle the whole body also. |
He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn’t respect him. |
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. | In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. |
There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. | There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved! |
He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession. | Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. |
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. | If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. |
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. | For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. |
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. | But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. |
Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did? | Can anyone forbid these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just like us. |