| My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. | The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. |
| They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. | They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. |
|
| No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. | No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. |
| Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. | God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God. |
| My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. | My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. |
| Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” | Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” |
| So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. | So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. |
| And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. | Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. |
| Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments. | Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. |
| When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone. | And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. |
| Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. | Our God is in the heavens, and he does as he wishes. |
| But I have been the Lord your God ever since you came out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. | I have been the Lord your God ever since I brought you out of Egypt. You must acknowledge no God but me, for there is no other savior. |
| Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. | That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. |
| If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple. | God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. |
| No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. | No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. |
| Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. | But God is my helper. The Lord keeps me alive! |
| These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. | But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. |
| Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. | Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. |
| To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. | Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen. |
| Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. | I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. |
| For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. | You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. |
| And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. | And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. |
| Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. | Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! |
| There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. | So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. |
| Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. | Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! |
