When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. | My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. |
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. |
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Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food.” | God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.” |
I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. | I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. |
The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow. | For in much wisdom is much vexation, and those who increase knowledge increase sorrow. |
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. | Bear fruit worthy of repentance. |
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. | With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love. |
You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. | You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. |
But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required. | But the one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. |
For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. | For the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. |
I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in riches. | I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. |
And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath. | How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath. |
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! | By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. |
How much better to get wisdom than gold, and good judgment than silver! | How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. |
If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you the seasonal rains. The land will then yield its crops, and the trees of the field will produce their fruit. | If you follow my statutes and keep my commandments and observe them faithfully, I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. |
When Job prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before! | And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends; and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. |
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. | Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits. |
And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. | And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace. |
Eloquent words are not fitting for a fool; even less are lies fitting for a ruler. | Fine speech is not becoming to a fool; still less is false speech to a ruler. |
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. | If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! |
For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. | For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. |
Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. | How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! |
Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. | Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. |
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. | Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. |
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. | Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. |