| Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! | Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—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. | Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. |
|
| Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. | I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father 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. | All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips, and I used no fragrant lotions 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. | Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For 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 I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. |
| I can do all this through him who gives me strength. | For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. |
| But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. | Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are 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 on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. |
| 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 long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. |
| 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. | But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is 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. | Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer 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 anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” says the Lord. |
| 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 the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a 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 when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. |
| When I said, “My foot is slipping,” your unfailing love, Lord, supported me. | I cried out, “I am slipping!” but your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. |
| You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. | You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. |
| I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. | I have rejoiced in your laws as much as in 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 must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be my very own. |
| My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. | This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. |
| Keep my commands and follow them. I am the Lord. | You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord. |
| I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. | I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent. |
| 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 all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because 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. | Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. |
| You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. | You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. |
