| And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. | Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. |
| Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. | For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. |
| There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. | There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. |
| For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. | For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. |
| Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud. | Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are truth, and his ways are justice; and he is able to bring low those who walk in pride. |
| But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. |
| God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. | Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. |
| But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf. | But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. |
| So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. | Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil. |
| Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. | I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. |
| Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. | Riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might; and it is in your hand to make great and to give strength to all. |
| God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. |
| That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. | So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. |
| Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” | He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” |
| For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. | As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. |
| How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! | Happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways. |
| Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. | For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. |
| O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. | O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you, I will praise your name; for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. |
| Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife. | House and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. |
| For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. | For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. |
| And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. | Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. |
| We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. | Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human standards. |
| Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. | Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. |
| He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” | He replied, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.” |
| Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. | Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. |
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