John 1:14
The Message
14 The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
the one-of-a-kind glory,
like Father, like Son,
Generous inside and out,
true from start to finish.
Acts 1:8
The Message
7-8 He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”
Read full chapter
Genesis 2:4-6
English Standard Version
The Creation of Man and Woman
4 (A)These are the generations
of the heavens and the earth when they were created,
in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 When no (B)bush of the field[a] was yet in the land[b] and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man (C)to work the ground, 6 and a mist[c] was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground—
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 2:5 Or open country
- Genesis 2:5 Or earth; also verse 6
- Genesis 2:6 Or spring
Genesis 2:4-7
The Message
2-4 By the seventh day
God had finished his work.
On the seventh day
he rested from all his work.
God blessed the seventh day.
He made it a Holy Day
Because on that day he rested from his work,
all the creating God had done.
This is the story of how it all started,
of Heaven and Earth when they were created.
Adam and Eve
5-7 At the time God made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground—God hadn’t yet sent rain on Earth, nor was there anyone around to work the ground (the whole Earth was watered by underground springs)—God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive—a living soul!
Read full chapter
1 Peter 5:9
English Standard Version
9 (A)Resist him, (B)firm in your faith, knowing that (C)the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Read full chapter
1 Peter 5:9-11
The Message
He Gets the Last Word
8-11 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
Read full chapter
Revelation 21:5-14
English Standard Version
5 And (A)he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I (B)am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for (C)these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, (D)“It is done! (E)I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. (F)To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 (G)The one who conquers will have this heritage, and (H)I will be his God and (I)he will be my son. 8 (J)But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, (K)their portion will be in (L)the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is (M)the second death.”
The New Jerusalem
9 Then came (N)one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of (O)the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you (P)the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And (Q)he carried me away in the Spirit to (R)a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, 11 (S)having the glory of God, (T)its radiance (U)like a most rare jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall, (V)with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve (W)foundations, and (X)on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
Read full chapter
Revelation 21:5-14
The Message
3-5 I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: “Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.” The Enthroned continued, “Look! I’m making everything new. Write it all down—each word dependable and accurate.”
6-8 Then he said, “It’s happened. I’m A to Z. I’m the Beginning, I’m the Conclusion. From Water-of-Life Well I give freely to the thirsty. Conquerors inherit all this. I’ll be God to them, they’ll be sons and daughters to me. But for the rest—the feckless and faithless, degenerates and murderers, sex peddlers and sorcerers, idolaters and all liars—for them it’s Lake Fire and Brimstone. Second death!”
The City of Light
9-12 One of the Seven Angels who had carried the bowls filled with the seven final disasters spoke to me: “Come here. I’ll show you the Bride, the Wife of the Lamb.” He took me away in the Spirit to an enormous, high mountain and showed me Holy Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God, resplendent in the bright glory of God.
12-14 The City shimmered like a precious gem, light-filled, pulsing light. She had a wall majestic and high with twelve gates. At each gate stood an Angel, and on the gates were inscribed the names of the Twelve Tribes of the sons of Israel: three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, three gates on the west. The wall was set on twelve foundations, the names of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb inscribed on them.
Read full chapterThe ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson