³⁰ For as you, in time past, were not under the rule of God, but now have got mercy through their turning away,

⁷ Among whom you were living in the past, when you did such things.

¹⁰ In the past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; then there was no mercy for you, but now mercy has been given to you.

³ For in the past we were foolish, hard in heart, turned from the true way, servants of evil desires and pleasures, living in bad feeling and envy, hated and hating one another.

⁴ But when the mercy of God our Saviour, and his love to man was seen,

⁵ Not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but in the measure of his mercy, he gave us salvation, through the washing of the new birth and the giving of new life in the Holy Spirit,

⁶ Which he gave us freely through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

⁷ So that, having been given righteousness through grace, we might have a part in the heritage, the hope of eternal life.

¹⁸ This order I give to you, Timothy my son, in harmony with the words of the prophets about you, so that by them you may be strong, fighting the good fight,

¹⁹ So then you are no longer as those who have no part or place in the kingdom of God, but you are numbered among the saints, and of the family of God,

²⁰ Resting on the base of the Apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief keystone,

²¹ In whom all the building, rightly joined together, comes to be a holy house of God in the Lord;

¹² That you were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel's rights as a nation, having no part in God's agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world.

¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who at one time were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

¹ And to you did he give life, when you were dead through your wrongdoing and sins,

² In which you were living in the past, after the ways of this present world, doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air, the spirit who is now working in those who go against the purpose of God;

¹ For this reason, because we have been made servants of this new order, through the mercy given to us, we are strong:

²⁵ Now about virgins I have no orders from the Lord: but I give my opinion as one to whom the Lord has given mercy to be true to him.

⁹ Have you not knowledge that evil-doers will have no part in the kingdom of God? Have no false ideas about this: no one who goes after the desires of the flesh, or gives worship to images, or is untrue when married, or is less than a man, or makes a wrong use of men,

¹⁰ Or is a thief, or the worse for drink, or makes use of strong language, or takes by force what is not his, will have any part in the kingdom of God.

¹¹ And such were some of you; but you have been washed, you have been made holy, you have been given righteousness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

³¹ So in the same way these have gone against the orders of God, so that by the mercy given to you they may now get mercy.