| “Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart.” | If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse on you and I will curse your blessings; indeed I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. |
| Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. | Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine. |
| Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. | Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. |
| But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. | But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. |
| You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. | You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. |
| Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. | Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. |
| For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. | For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. |
| But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect. | Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. |
| Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? | Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? |
| You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. | Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. |
| Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen.” | Jesus answered them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done.” |
| Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear! | Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops. |
| 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. | For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. |
| Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment. | Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation. |
| Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” | Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. |
| 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. | Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. |
| Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. | Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. |
| The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. | The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. |
| Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. | Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone. |
| If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. | For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. |
| So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord! | Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord. |
| So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. | Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. |
| For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. | There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling. |
| And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” | And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” |
| Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. | For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. |
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