| Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” | Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. |
| For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. | God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. |
|
| For, “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.” |
| The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. | He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. |
| God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” | Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” |
| Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? | No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. |
| Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. | We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. |
| Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. | Moses remained there on the mountain with the Lord forty days and forty nights. In all that time he ate no bread and drank no water. And the Lord wrote the terms of the covenant—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets. |
| Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews. | A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” |
| The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. | The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. |
| For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” | For the Lord gave us this command when he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’ |
| When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. | But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. |
| For he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. | He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. |
| Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. | The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! |
| Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. | Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. |
| For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. | The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. |
| Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. | Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. |
| So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. | So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man comes. |
| The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him. | The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. |
| The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. | The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free. |
| For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us. | For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us. |
| Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. | Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord. |
| May God bless us still, so that all the ends of the earth will fear him. | Yes, God will bless us, and people all over the world will fear him. |
| And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. | And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. |
| For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. | For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. |
