| “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” | “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” |
| Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” | Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” |
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| The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.” | The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” |
| Then he said to them, “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.” | Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” |
| So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. | So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. |
| I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. | I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! |
| Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” | Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” |
| Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” | Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” |
| For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. | For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. |
| My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart. | My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart. |
| But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. | But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. |
| I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. | I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. |
| 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. | For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. |
| May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. | May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. |
| And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. | So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. |
| For the word of God will never fail. | For no word from God will ever fail. |
| My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. | Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. |
| The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. | For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. |
| But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. | The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. |
| May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ. | May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. |
| For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. | The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. |
| All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). | Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. |
| But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” | Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” |
| Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. | You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. |
| Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. | Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. |
