Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good. | Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. |
Those who live according to the flesh can never be pleasing to God. | That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. |
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For God will repay everyone in accordance with what his deeds deserve. | He will judge everyone according to what they have done. |
Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. | Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. |
Bless those who persecute you; bless them and do not curse them. | Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. |
Those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. | For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. |
Indeed, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” | For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” |
Do not be lacking in zeal, but serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. | Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. |
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. | May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. |
Be joyful in your hope. Be patient in times of affliction. Persevere in prayer. | Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. |
As much as possible, and to the extent of your ability, live in peace with everyone. | Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. |
As Scripture asserts, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” | As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” |
But if we hope for what we do not yet see, then we wait for it with patience. | But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently. |
Let your love be sincere. Loathe what is evil and hold fast to what is good. | Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. |
Each of us must consider his neighbor’s good for the purpose of building him up. | We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. |
The Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. | For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. |
So then, faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. | So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. |
No, throughout all these things we are conquerors because of him who loved us. | No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. |
At the appointed time, while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly. | When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. |
Welcome anyone whose faith is weak, but do not get into arguments about doubts. | Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. |
Love one another with genuine affection. Esteem others more highly than yourself. | Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. |
Love cannot result in any harm to the neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the Law. | Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. |
Therefore, accept one another for the glory of God, just as Christ has accepted you. | Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. |
What then can we say in response to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us? | What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? |
Indeed, creation itself eagerly awaits the revelation of the children of God. | For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. |