| Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. | Blessed is the one whose offense is forgiven, whose sin is erased. |
| Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. | Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. |
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| Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. | Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in accord with the law of the Lord. |
| All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent. | All this knowledge comes from the Lord of hosts whose counsel is wonderful and whose wisdom is great. |
| You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. | O Lord, you grant peace to those who are steadfast because of their trust in you. |
| In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? | In God, whose word I praise, in God I place my trust and know no fear; what can people do to me? |
| But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. | But from you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, among the tiniest of the clans of Judah, from you will come forth for me one who is to be a ruler in Israel, one whose origins are from the distant past, from ancient times. |
| Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. | Welcome anyone whose faith is weak, but do not get into arguments about doubts. |
| Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. | Like a city that has been breached and made defenseless is the man devoid of self-control. |
| For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” | For thus says the One who is high and exalted, who lives eternally and whose name is holy: I dwell in a high and holy place but I am with the contrite and the humble, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite. |
| But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. | If it seems wrong to you to serve the Lord, then today you must choose whom you will serve, whether it be the gods that your fathers served on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites who dwell in the land. As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. |
| The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others. | The one who leads a blameless life and does what is right, who speaks the truth from the heart and does not slander anyone, who does not harm a friend and does not scorn a neighbor. |
| He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless. | He reserves his wisdom for the upright and is a shield to those who lead blameless lives. |
| But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love. | But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those who trust in his kindness. |
| But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. | Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and whose hope is the Lord. They will be like a tree planted by the water that spreads out its roots to the stream. When the heat comes, it does not fear; its leaves stay green. It is not concerned in a year of drought, and it never fails to bear fruit. |
| Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. | Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God. |
| “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” | He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live in righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. |
| Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble. | Therefore, now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven. For all of his works are right, and all of his ways are just. Also, he is able to humble all those who follow the path of pride. |
| The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. | The righteous call out, and the Lord hears them; he rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord remains close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirit is crushed. |
| Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. | Sing to God, sing praise to his name; exalt him who rides upon the clouds. Rejoice in the presence of this God whose name is the Lord. The Father of orphans and the defender of widows: such is God in his holy dwelling place. |
| Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. | It is better to be a patient man rather than a warrior, one who controls his temper rather than one who captures a city. |
| 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. | And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a sacrificial offering whose fragrance is pleasing to God. |
| Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.” | And God said, “Behold, I give you every plant that produces seeds upon the earth and every tree that has fruit with its seed inside of it: these shall be your food.” |
| Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. For the Lord detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence. | Do not envy a violent man or choose to emulate any of his ways. For the perverse man is an abomination to the Lord whose friendship is bestowed only upon the upright. |
| Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. | Do not seek to adorn yourself externally—by the braiding of your hair and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothing. Rather, let your adornment be of your inner self, the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. |
