KJV - 2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem:…

NRSV - 2 Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem;...

TEV - "God Will Rescue Jerusalem" - 1 Jerusalem, be strong and great again! Holy city of God, clothe yourself with splendor! The heathen will never enter your gates again. 2 Shake yourself free, Jerusalem! Rise from the dust and sit on your throne! Undo the chains that bind you, captive people of Zion!

KJV - 4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

7 Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong:…

9 What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth?

11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent…

NRSV - 4 Sing praises to the LORD, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.

7 By your favor, O LORD, you had established me as a strong mountain;...

9 "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?

11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent...

TEV - "A Prayer of Thanksgiving" - 4 Sing praise to the LORD, all his faithful people! Remember what the Holy One has done, and give him thanks! 5 His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime. Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning. 6 I felt secure and said to myself, "I will never be defeated." 7 You were good to me, LORD; you protected me like a mountain fortress. But then you hid yourself from me, and I was afraid. 8 I called to you, LORD; I begged for your help: 9 "What will you gain from my death? What profit from my going to the grave? Are dead people able to praise you? Can they proclaim your unfailing goodness? 10 Hear me, LORD, and be merciful! Help me, LORD!" 11 You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance; you have taken away my sorrow and surrounded me with joy. 12 So I will not be silent; I will sing praise to you. LORD, you are my God; I will give you thanks forever.

KJV - 2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: 3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

NRSV - 2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3 things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

7 so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

TEV - "God and His People" - 1 Listen, my people, to my teaching, and pay attention to what I say. 2 I am going to use wise sayings and explain mysteries from the past, 3 things we have heard and known, things that our fathers told us. 4 We will not keep them from our children; we will tell the next generation about the LORD's power and his great deeds and the wonderful things he has done. 5 He gave laws to the people of Israel and commandments to the descendants of Jacob. He instructed our ancestors to teach his laws to their children, 6 so that the next generation might learn them and in turn should tell their children. 7 In this way they also will put their trust in God and not forget what he has done, but always obey his commandments. 8 They will not be like their ancestors, a rebellious and disobedient people, whose trust in God was never firm and who did not remain faithful to him.

KJV - 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

3 All things were made by [through] him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

NRSV - 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being

TEV - "The Word of Life" - 1 Before the world was created, the Word already existed; he was with God, and he was the same as God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. 4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

KJV - 15 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding.

NRSV - 15 It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

TEV - "A Hymn of Praise to God" - 15 The LORD made the earth by his power; by his wisdom he created the world and stretched out the heavens. 16 At his command the waters above the sky roar; he brings clouds from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning flash in the rain and sends the wind from his storeroom. 17 At the sight of this, men feel stupid and senseless; those who make idols are disillusioned because the gods they make are false and lifeless.

KJV - 26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:...

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

NRSV - 26 Then God said, "Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness;...

27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

TEV - "The Story of Creation" - 26 Then God said, "And now we will make human beings; they will be like us and resemble us. They will have power over the fish, the birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small." 27 So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female, 28 blessed them, and said, "Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals. 29 I have provided all kinds of grain and all kinds of fruit for you to eat; 30 but for all the wild animals and for all the birds I have provided grass and leafy plants for food" -- and it was done. 31 God looked at everything he had made, and he was very pleased. Evening passed and morning came -- that was the sixth day.

KJV - 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh:...

NRSV - 1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude.

6 but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground -- 7 then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;...

TEV - "The Story of Creation" - 1 And so the whole universe was completed. 2 By the seventh day God finished what he had been doing and stopped working. 3 He blessed the seventh day and set it apart as a special day, because by that day he had completed his creation and stopped working. 4 And that is how the universe was created.

"The Garden of Eden" - 4b When the LORD God made the universe, 5 there were no plants on the earth and no seeds had sprouted, because he had not sent any rain, and there was no one to cultivate the land; 6 but water would come up from beneath the surface and water the ground. 7 Then the LORD God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live. 8 Then the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the East, and there he put the man he had formed. 9 He made all kinds of beautiful trees grow there and produce good fruit. In the middle of the garden stood the tree that gives life and the tree that gives knowledge of what is good and what is bad.

21 Then the LORD God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. 22 He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. 23 Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind -- Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. "Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one.

KJV - 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

NRSV - 3 Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?

TEV - "Law or Faith" - 1 You foolish Galatians! Who put a spell on you? Before your very eyes you had a clear description of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross! 2 Tell me this one thing: did you receive God's Spirit by doing what the Law requires or by hearing the gospel and believing it? 3 How can you be so foolish! You began by God's Spirit; do you now want to finish by your own power? 4 Did all your experience mean nothing at all? Surely it meant something! 5 Does God give you the Spirit and work miracles among you because you do what the Law requires or because you hear the gospel and believe it?

KJV - 22 …as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.

NRSV - 22 ...as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.

45 Thus it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living being"; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven.

TEV - "Our Resurrection" - 20 But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death, as the guarantee that those who sleep in death will also be raised. 21 For just as death came by means of a man, in the same way the rising from death comes by means of a man. 22 For just as all people die because of their union with Adam, in the same way all will be raised to life because of their union with Christ. 23 But each one will be raised in his proper order: Christ, first of all; then, at the time of his coming, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come; Christ will overcome all spiritual rulers, authorities, and powers, and will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father. 25 For Christ must rule until God defeats all enemies and puts them under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be defeated will be death.

"The Resurrection Body" - 42 This is how it will be when the dead are raised to life. When the body is buried, it is mortal; when raised, it will be immortal. 43 When buried, it is ugly and weak; when raised, it will be beautiful and strong. 44 When buried, it is a physical body; when raised, it will be a spiritual body. There is, of course, a physical body, so there has to be a spiritual body. 45 For the scripture says, "The first man, Adam, was created a living being"; but the last Adam is the life-giving Spirit. 46 It is not the spiritual that comes first, but the physical, and then the spiritual. 47 The first Adam, made of earth, came from the earth; the second Adam came from heaven. 48 Those who belong to the earth are like the one who was made of earth; those who are of heaven are like the one who came from heaven. 49 Just as we wear the likeness of the man made of earth, so we will wear the likeness of the Man from heaven.

KJV - 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

NRSV - 11 And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

TEV - "The Witness about Jesus Christ" - 6 Jesus Christ is the one who came with the water of his baptism and the blood of his death. He came not only with the water, but with both the water and the blood. And the Spirit himself testifies that this is true, because the Spirit is truth. 7 There are three witnesses: 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and all three give the same testimony. 9 We believe man's testimony; but God's testimony is much stronger, and he has given this testimony about his Son. 10 So whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his own heart; but whoever does not believe God, has made a liar of him, because he has not believed what God has said about his Son. 11 The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son.

KJV - 46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.

50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said [They said therefore] unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth:…

NRSV - 46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51 As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, "Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him." 53 The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live."...

TEV - "Jesus Heals an Official's Son" - 43 After spending two days there, Jesus left and went to Galilee. 44 For he himself had said, "A prophet is not respected in his own country." 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the people there welcomed him, because they had gone to the Passover Festival in Jerusalem and had seen everything that he had done during the festival. 46 Then Jesus went back to Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. A government official was there whose son was sick in Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to go to Capernaum and heal his son, who was about to die. 48 Jesus said to him, "None of you will ever believe unless you see miracles and wonders." 49 "Sir," replied the official, "come with me before my child dies." 50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live!" The man believed Jesus' words and went. 51 On his way home his servants met him with the news, "Your boy is going to live!" 52 He asked them what time it was when his son got better, and they answered, "It was one o'clock yesterday afternoon when the fever left him." 53 Then the father remembered that it was at that very hour when Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." So he and all his family believed. 54 This was the second miracle that Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

KJV - 18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself [him], and that wicked [evil] one toucheth him not.

NRSV - 18 We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them.

TEV - "Eternal Life" - 18 We know that no child of God keeps on sinning, for the Son of God keeps him safe, and the Evil One cannot harm him. 19 We know that we belong to God even though the whole world is under the rule of the Evil One. 20 We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we know the true God. We live in union with the true God -- in union with his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and this is eternal life. 21 My children, keep yourselves safe from false gods!

KJV - 38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation…

NRSV - 38 Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial;...

TEV - "Jesus Prays in Gethsemane" - 37 Then he returned and found the three disciples asleep. He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Weren't you able to stay awake for even one hour?" 38 And he said to them, "Keep watch, and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." 39 He went away once more and prayed, saying the same words. 40 Then he came back to the disciples and found them asleep; they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what to say to him. 41 When he came back the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come! Look, the Son of Man is now being handed over to the power of sinful men. 42 Get up, let us go. Look, here is the man who is betraying me!"

KJV - 1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

NRSV - 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, "You shall not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, "You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die."' 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die; 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate.

TEV - "The Disobedience of Man" - 1 Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the LORD God had made. The snake asked the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat fruit from any tree in the garden?" 2 "We may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden," the woman answered, 3 "except the tree in the middle of it. God told us not to eat the fruit of that tree or even touch it; if we do, we will die." 4 The snake replied, "That's not true; you will not die. 5 God said that because he knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad." 6 The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, and he also ate it. 7 As soon as they had eaten it, they were given understanding and realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and covered themselves. 8 That evening they heard the LORD God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. 9 But the LORD God called out to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked." 11 "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked. "Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?"

KJV - 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

NRSV - 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

20 Thus you will know them by their fruits.

TEV - "A Tree and Its Fruit" - 15 "Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. 16 You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs. 17 A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a poor tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 And any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. 20 So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do.

KJV - 13 Consider the work of God:…

29 Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.

NRSV - 13 Consider the work of God;...

29 See, this alone I found, that God made human beings straightforward, but they have devised many schemes.

TEV - "Thoughts about Life" - 13 Think about what God has done. How can anyone straighten out what God has made crooked? 14 When things are going well for you, be glad, and when trouble comes, just remember: God sends both happiness and trouble; you never know what is going to happen next. 15 My life has been useless, but in it I have seen everything. A good man may die while another man lives on, even though he is evil. 16 So don't be too good or too wise -- why kill yourself? 17 But don't be too wicked or too foolish, either -- why die before you have to? 18 Avoid both extremes. If you have reverence for God, you will be successful anyway.

26 I found something more bitter than death -- woman. The love she offers you will catch you like a trap or like a net; and her arms around you will hold you like a chain. A man who pleases God can get away, but she will catch the sinner. 27 Yes, said the Philosopher, I found this out little by little while I was looking for answers. 28 I have looked for other answers but have found none. I found one man in a thousand that I could respect, but not one woman. 29 This is all that I have learned: God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.

KJV - 18 …he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

NRSV - 18 ...those who increase knowledge increase sorrow.

TEV - "The Philosopher's Experience" - 16 I told myself, "I have become a great man, far wiser than anyone who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are." 17 I was determined to learn the difference between knowledge and foolishness, wisdom and madness. But I found out that I might as well be chasing the wind. 18 The wiser you are, the more worries you have; the more you know, the more it hurts.

KJV - 17 Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 18 They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

NRSV - 17 Everyone is stupid and without knowledge; goldsmiths are all put to shame by their idols; for their images are false, and there is no breath in them. 18 They are worthless, a work of delusion; at the time of their punishment they shall perish.

TEV - "A Hymn of Praise to God" - 15 The LORD made the earth by his power; by his wisdom he created the world and stretched out the heavens. 16 At his command the waters above the sky roar; he brings clouds from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning flash in the rain and sends the wind from his storeroom. 17 At the sight of this, men feel stupid and senseless; those who make idols are disillusioned because the gods they make are false and lifeless. 18 They are worthless and should be despised; they will be destroyed when the LORD comes to deal with them. 19 The God of Jacob is not like them; he is the one who made everything, and he has chosen Israel to be his very own people. The LORD Almighty is his name.

KJV - 13 O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

NRSV - 13 O LORD our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but we acknowledge your name alone.

TEV - "God Will Give His People Victory" - 11 Your enemies do not know that you will punish them. LORD, put them to shame and let them suffer; let them suffer the punishment you have prepared. Show them how much you love your people. 12 You will give us prosperity, LORD; everything that we achieve is the result of what you do. 13 LORD our God, we have been ruled by others, but you alone are our LORD.

KJV - 28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.

NRSV - 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the LORD.

TEV - "Jeremiah's Message about the Prophets" - 23 "I am a God who is everywhere and not in one place only. 24 No one can hide where I cannot see him. Do you not know that I am everywhere in heaven and on earth? 25 I know what those prophets have said who speak lies in my name and claim that I have given them my messages in their dreams. 26 How much longer will those prophets mislead my people with the lies they have invented? 27 They think that the dreams they tell will make my people forget me, just as their fathers forgot me and turned to Baal. 28 The prophet who has had a dream should say it is only a dream, but the prophet who has heard my message should proclaim that message faithfully. What good is straw compared with wheat? 29 My message is like a fire and like a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces.

KJV - 13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. 14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception;…

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:…

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

NRSV - 13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." 14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.

16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;...

17 And to the man he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree about which I commanded you, "You shall not eat of it,'...

19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

TEV - "The Disobedience of Man" - 12 The man answered, "The woman you put here with me gave me the fruit, and I ate it." 13 The LORD God asked the woman, "Why did you do this?" She replied, "The snake tricked me into eating it."

"God Pronounces Judgment" - 14 Then the LORD God said to the snake, "You will be punished for this; you alone of all the animals must bear this curse: From now on you will crawl on your belly, and you will have to eat dust as long as you live. 15 I will make you and the woman hate each other; her offspring and yours will always be enemies. Her offspring will crush your head, and you will bite their heel." 16 And he said to the woman, "I will increase your trouble in pregnancy and your pain in giving birth. In spite of this, you will still have desire for your husband, yet you will be subject to him." 17 And he said to the man, "You listened to your wife and ate the fruit which I told you not to eat. Because of what you have done, the ground will be under a curse. You will have to work hard all your life to make it produce enough food for you. 18 It will produce weeds and thorns, and you will have to eat wild plants. 19 You will have to work hard and sweat to make the soil produce anything, until you go back to the soil from which you were formed. You were made from soil, and you will become soil again."

KJV - 14 …Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

NRSV - 14 ..."Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."

TEV - "Living in the Light" - 11 Have nothing to do with the worthless things that people do, things that belong to the darkness. Instead, bring them out to the light. (12 It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) 13 And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed; 14 for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said, "Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you."

KJV - 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

NRSV - 17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

TEV - "Jesus and Nicodemus" - 14 As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior. 18 Whoever believes in the Son is not judged; but whoever does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in God's only Son. 19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20 Anyone who does evil things hates the light and will not come to the light, because he does not want his evil deeds to be shown up. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light in order that the light may show that what he did was in obedience to God.

KJV - 19 …behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

NRSV - 19 ...my witness is in heaven, and he that vouches for me is on high.

TEV - "The Second Dialogue" - 18 O Earth, don't hide the wrongs done to me! Don't let my call for justice be silenced! 19 There is someone in heaven to stand up for me and take my side. 20 My friends scorn me; my eyes pour out tears to God. 21 I want someone to plead with God for me, as a man pleads for his friend. 22 My years are passing now, and I walk the road of no return.

KJV - 10 …I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

NRSV - 10 ...I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming, "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Messiah, for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

TEV - "The Woman and the Dragon" - 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, "Now God's salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as King! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused our brothers day and night has been thrown out of heaven. 11 Our brothers won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die. 12 And so be glad, you heavens, and all you that live there! But how terrible for the earth and the sea! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage, because he knows that he has only a little time left."

KJV - 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth:…

3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven [from the throne] saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God [he] shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new…

7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

NRSV - 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;...

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." 5 And the one who was seated on the throne said, "See, I am making all things new."...

7 Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

TEV - "The New Heaven and the New Earth" - 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. 2 And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. 3 I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: "Now God's home is with mankind! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared." 5 Then the one who sits on the throne said, "And now I make all things new!" He also said to me, "Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted." 6 And he said, "It is done! I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it. 7 Whoever wins the victory will receive this from me: I will be his God, and he will be my son. 8 But cowards, traitors, perverts, murderers, the immoral, those who practice magic, those who worship idols, and all liars -- the place for them is the lake burning with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

KJV - 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

NRSV - 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear and who keep what is written in it; for the time is near.

TEV - "Introduction" - 1 This book is the record of the events that Jesus Christ revealed. God gave him this revelation in order to show to his servants what must happen very soon. Christ made these things known to his servant John by sending his angel to him, 2 and John has told all that he has seen. This is his report concerning the message from God and the truth revealed by Jesus Christ. 3 Happy is the one who reads this book, and happy are those who listen to the words of this prophetic message and obey what is written in this book! For the time is near when all these things will happen.