| Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein. | This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’” |
| What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. | Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. |
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| And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. | And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. |
| Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. | Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control. |
| All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. | You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. |
| Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. | Now may the Lord of peace himself give you his peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all. |
| Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. | Don’t long for “the good old days.” This is not wise. |
| For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. | Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. |
| And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. | So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help. |
| Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. | You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. |
| I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. | All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed. |
| And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. | Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.” |
| I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. | Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. |
| For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake. | For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. |
| Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. | Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. |
| And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. | But the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” |
| See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. | See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. |
| Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. | So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. |
| Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. | Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. |
| My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed. | I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me. |
| And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. | And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. |
| And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. | And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. |
| But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. | But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! |
| Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. | For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. |
| Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. | Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. |
