Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. | Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. |
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in him already stands condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. | There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. |
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And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. | And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. |
Guide me in your truth and instruct me, for you are God, my Savior, and in you I hope all the day long. | Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you. |
But the Almighty we cannot find; he is unequaled in power and judgment, and in his righteousness he will not violate justice. | We cannot imagine the power of the Almighty; but even though he is just and righteous, he does not destroy us. |
Be strong and courageous in your hearts, all you who place your hope in the Lord. | So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! |
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. | 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. |
God is our refuge and our strength, a well-proved help in times of trouble. | God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. |
Therefore, my beloved brethren, stand firm and immovable, devoting yourselves completely to the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. | So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. |
Keep alert; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. | Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. |
Blessed be the God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens. | All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. |
O Lord, let your kindness rest upon us, for we have placed our hope in you. | Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. |
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may grow rich in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. | I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. |
Let your attitude be identical to that of Christ Jesus. | You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. |
You are my refuge and my shield; I put my hope in your word. | You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope. |
However, if we live in the light as he himself is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son purifies us from all sin. | But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. |
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a resolute spirit within me. | Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. |
Nevertheless, do not rejoice in the knowledge that the spirits are subject to you. Rejoice rather that your names are inscribed in heaven. | But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven. |
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore, he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them the path to follow. | The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way. |
While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. | And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. |
I treasure your word in my heart for fear that I may sin against you. | I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. |
Blessed are all those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. | How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! |
Everything that you do should be done in love. | And do everything with love. |
Trust wholeheartedly in the Lord rather than relying on your own intelligence. In everything you do, acknowledge him, and he will see that your paths are straight. | Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. |
Let us never grow weary in doing what is right, for if we do not give up, we will reap our harvest in due time. | So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. |