| Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became 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! |
| All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is 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”). |
| What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? | What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? |
| For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens; your faithfulness extends to the clouds. | For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. |
| Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands— O prosper the work of our hands! | May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. |
| Until a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is deemed a forest. | Till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest. |
| Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother's womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. | As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. |
| For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler, 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. |
| He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds. | Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. |
| Rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. | Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. |
| Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!” | Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” |
| His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. | His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. |
| But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ —by grace you have been saved—. | But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. |
| And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. | The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. |
| For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. | For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. |
| Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. | Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. |
| Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. | Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. |
| For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the 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. |
| Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. | Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. |
| The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our ancestors; may he not leave us or abandon us. | May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. |
| The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. | The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. |
| You shall not abuse any widow or orphan. If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed their cry; my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans. | 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. |
| As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. | As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. |
| By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. | This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. |
| For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. | For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. |
Bible verse of the day
Your word is a lamp to my feetand a light to my path.