| Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! | Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say: Rejoice! |
| Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. | Behold, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with that person and that person with me. |
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| Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. | Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. |
| I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. | I refrained from eating any choice food, abstaining from consuming meat or wine, and I did not anoint myself until those three weeks had passed. |
| I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. | I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing. |
| If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. | If in speaking I use human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. |
| I can do all this through him who gives me strength. | I can do all things in him who strengthens me. |
| But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. | Go and learn what this text means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I have come to call not the righteous but sinners. |
| I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. | I know how to live with little, and I know how to live with plenty. In any and all circumstances, I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. |
| I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. | For I am longing to see you so that I may bestow on you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or, rather, so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. |
| But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. | As for me, I trust in your kindness; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because he has been good to me. |
| And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. | And I say to you: You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld will not prevail against it. |
| “Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. | Can someone hide in a secret place so that I cannot see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? |
| For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. | For I know full well the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare and not for your misfortune, plans that will offer you a future filled with hope. |
| Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. | Even though I wander through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are at my side, with your rod and your staff that comfort me. |
| When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. | When I realized that my foot was slipping, your kindness, O Lord, raised me up. |
| You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. | You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. |
| I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. | I rejoice in following your statutes more than I would rejoice in endless riches. |
| You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own. | You shall be holy, for I, the Lord, am holy. I have chosen you from among all people that you shall be mine. |
| My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. | This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. |
| Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. | You shall observe my commandments and obey them. I am the Lord. |
| I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. | I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. |
| I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. | I have told you this so that in me you may be in peace. In the world you will endure suffering. But take courage! I have overcome the world. |
| Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. | Because in my eyes you are precious, because you are honored and I love you, I will give people in exchange for you and nations in return for your life. |
| You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. | You have already been cleansed by the word I have spoken to you. |
