| 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. | 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. |
| Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. | Who are you to pass judgment on servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them stand. |
| How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! | How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God! |
| But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. | But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. |
| For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. | For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. |
| When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” | Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” |
| Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. | Now may the God of peace, who brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, make you complete in everything good so that you may do his will, working among us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. |
| For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. | For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen. |
| Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God. |
| Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. | Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. |
| There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? | There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor? |
| Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” | “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!” |
| I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. | I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. |
| For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. | For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. |
| Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory. | Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah |
| Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. | Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. |
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. |
| For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good. | For the customs of the peoples are false: a tree from the forest is cut down, and worked with an ax by the hands of an artisan; people deck it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, nor is it in them to do good. |
| For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. | For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. |
| He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. | In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. |
| For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. | For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
| The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. | The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the mind of the wicked is of little worth. |
| May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. | The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you. |
| I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. | I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. |
| For he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. | Guarding the paths of justice and preserving the way of his faithful ones. |
Bible verse of the day
Whoever is patient has great understanding,but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.