| Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. | This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. |
| Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! | Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. |
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| By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. | And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. |
| For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. | For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. |
| By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. | This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. |
| He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? | He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? |
| The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. | The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him. |
| For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him. | For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him. |
| Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. | He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. |
| Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. | Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. |
| Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. | Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. |
| My son, if your heart is wise, my heart too will be glad. | My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed. |
| Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” | Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” |
| For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. | For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil. |
| And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. | The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. |
| Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. | But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. |
| Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” | Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” |
| Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. | Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! |
| For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. | For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. |
| What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? | What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? |
| All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). | All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). |
| Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. | Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. |
| You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless. | Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless. |
| Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. | Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. |
| For the Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our king; he will save us. | For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. |
