He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light. | He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with him. |
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. | Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. |
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I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. | For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. |
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” | Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” |
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? | For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? |
For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. | For “no human being will be justified in his sight” by deeds prescribed by the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. |
Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. | Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. |
Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. | For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, busy with this very thing. |
But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. | But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated. |
Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all. | Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. |
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. | So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. |
And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. | And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever. |
Jesus replied, “All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them.” | Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” |
But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are! | Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. |
This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. | This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. |
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. | Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. |
This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’ | But this command I gave them, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people; and walk only in the way that I command you, so that it may be well with you.” |
What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. | Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. |
We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. | We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. |
Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. | For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. |
But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. | As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him. |
In that wonderful day you will sing: “Thank the Lord! Praise his name! Tell the nations what he has done. Let them know how mighty he is!” | And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known his deeds among the nations; proclaim that his name is exalted. |
God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? | There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor? |
All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. | Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. |
Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live! Then the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies will be your helper, just as you have claimed. | Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. |