| My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? | In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? |
| But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles. | To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles. |
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| What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” | What then should we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet, if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” |
| So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. | In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. |
| Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever! | If only they had such a mind as this, to fear me and to keep all my commandments always, so that it might go well with them and with their children forever! |
| Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” | Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” |
| Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. | For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness. |
| But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ | But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ |
| Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. | Am I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ. |
| Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends. | One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend. |
| When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. | When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. |
| If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him. | If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him. |
| For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.” | For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.” |
| If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. | If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. |
| You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. | I did not shrink from doing anything helpful, proclaiming the message to you and teaching you publicly and from house to house. |
| But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. | But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life. |
| 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. | Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. |
| My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. | I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. |
| Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.’ But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. | Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.” But they did not hear or heed me, says the Lord. |
| I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. | I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. |
| Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” | Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” |
| With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. | With their mouths the godless would destroy their neighbors, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. |
| I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love. | I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. |
| They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. | For they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. |
| Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? | Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? |
