| Hear, my child, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. | My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. |
| And live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. | Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. |
| Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name's sake. | Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name. |
| My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments; for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare they will give you. | My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. |
| For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. | For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. |
| In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. | This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. |
| No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. | No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. |
| Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. | If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. |
| Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. | This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of 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, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. |
| By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. | It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise. |
| We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. | We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. |
| The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who begets a wise son will be glad in him. | The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise. |
| My child, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. | My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. |
| 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 merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you. |
| For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure. | For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! |
| He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? | Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? |
| Then the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. | And the Lord our God commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear him so he can continue to bless us and preserve our lives, as he has done to this day. |
| Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. | For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. |
| Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. | All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation. |
| Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.” | Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.” |
| Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. | Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. |
| My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. | 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. |
| 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. | The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil. |
| 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 destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are! |
Related topics
Love
Love is patient; love...
Obedience
Jesus answered him, “Those...
Life
The LORD will keep...
Sin
Do you not know...
Law
Keep these words that...
Listening
You must understand this...