Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

27) Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel,
28) not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your deliverance—and this is from God.
29) For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him,
30) having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

Christian Humility

Chapter 2

1) If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2) fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal.
3) Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
4) Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Christ’s Humility and Exaltation

5) Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,
6) who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage.
7) Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
8) He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death--
even to death on a cross.
9) For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
10) so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow--
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth--
11) and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Lights in the World

12) So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13) For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose.
14) Do everything without grumbling and arguing,
15) so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world.
16) Hold firmly tod the message of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.
17) But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
18) In the same way you should also be glad and rejoice with me.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

Advance of the Gospel

12) Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel,
13) so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is in the cause of Christ.
14) Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly.
15) To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will.
16) These do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;
17) the others proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause me anxiety in my imprisonment.
18) What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice
19) because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
20) My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

Living Is Christ

21) For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.
22) Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose.
23) I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ—which is far better—
24) but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you.
25) Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,
26) so that, because of me, your confidence may grow in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.

Philippians 1:1-11
Greeting

1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus:
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,
4 always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer,
5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
6 I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you[b] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the gospel.
8 For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,
10 so that you can approve the things that are superior and can be pure and blameless in the day of Christ,
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.

Holman Christian Standard Bible: Daniel 6

1) The Plot against Daniel6 Darius decided to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, stationed throughout the realm,
2) and over them three administrators, including Daniel. These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded.
3) Daniel distinguished himself above the administrators and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit, so the king planned to set him over the whole realm.
4) The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.
5) Then these men said, “We will never find any charge against this Daniel unless we find something against him concerning the law of his God.”

6) So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever.
7) All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den.
8) Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.”
9) So King Darius signed the document.

Daniel in the Lions’ Den

10) When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
11) Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.
12) So they approached the king and asked about his edict: “Didn’t you sign an edict that for 30 days any man who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.”

13) Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.”
14) As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.

15) Then these men went to the king and said to him, “You as king know it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.”

16) So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
17) A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed.
18) Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep.

Daniel Released

19) At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.
20) When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?”

21) Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever.
22) My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths. They haven’t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king.”

23) The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God.
24) The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Darius Honors God

25) Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live in all the earth: “May your prosperity abound. 26 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel:

For He is the living God,
and He endures forever;
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and His dominion has no end.
27) He rescues and delivers;
He performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,
for He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.”

28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and[f] the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Holman Christian Standard Bible: Mark 15:42-16:8

Mark 15: 42-47
The Burial of Jesus

42) When it was already evening, because it was preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath),
43) Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Sanhedrin who was himself looking forward to the kingdom of God, came and boldly went in to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
44) Pilate was surprised that He was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him whether He had already died.
45) When he found out from the centurion, he gave the corpse to Joseph.
46) After he bought some fine linen, he took Him down and wrapped Him in the linen. Then he placed Him in a tomb cut out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb.
47) Now Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were watching where He was placed.

Mark 16: 1-8
Resurrection Morning

1) When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so they could go and anoint Him.
2) Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they went to the tomb at sunrise.
3) They were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?”
4) Looking up, they observed that the stone—which was very large—had been rolled away.
5) When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man[a] dressed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; they were amazed and alarmed.
6) “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here! See the place where they put Him.
7) But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.’”
8) So they went out and started running from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid.