you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer ¹  spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

And this prefigured baptism, which now saves you ¹  – not the washing off of physical dirt ²  but the pledge ³  of a good conscience to God – through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

For if ¹  these things are really yours ²  and are continually increasing, ³  they will keep you from becoming ⁴  ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of ⁵  knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately. ⁶ 

For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return ¹  of our Lord Jesus Christ; ²  no, ³  we were ⁴  eyewitnesses of his ⁵  grandeur. ⁶ 

But grow in the grace and knowledge ¹  of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the honor both now and on ²  that eternal day. ³ 

Grace, mercy, and ¹  peace will be with us from God the Father and from ²  Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders ¹ ), ²  asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate ³  gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. ⁴ 

So ¹  I threw myself down ²  at his feet to worship him, but ³  he said, “Do not do this! ⁴  I am only ⁵  a fellow servant ⁶  with you and your brothers ⁷  who hold to the testimony about ⁸  Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Now the birth of Jesus Christ happened this way. While his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they came together, ¹  she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

So ¹  Peter said ²  to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make ³  three shelters ⁴  – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But ¹  one of those with Jesus grabbed ²  his sword, drew it out, and struck the high priest’s slave, ³  cutting off his ear.

As Jesus ¹  was having a meal ²  in Levi’s ³  home, many tax collectors ⁴  and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

Then ¹  he cried out with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, ²  Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I implore you by God ³  – do not torment me!”

So ¹  Peter said to Jesus, ²  “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters ³  – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

So ¹  they answered Jesus, ²  “We don’t know.” ³  Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you ⁴  by what authority ⁵  I am doing these things.”

Joseph of Arimathea, a highly regarded member of the council, ¹  who was himself looking forward to ²  the kingdom of God, ³  went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴ 

But ¹  since they found ²  no way to carry him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof ³  and let him down on the stretcher ⁴  through the roof tiles ⁵  right ⁶  in front of Jesus. ⁷ 

When he saw ¹  Jesus, he cried out, fell ²  down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, ³  Jesus, Son of the Most High ⁴  God! I beg you, do not torment ⁵  me!”

So ¹  the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They ²  found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.

Then ¹  a man named Jairus, who was a ruler ²  of the synagogue, ³  came up. Falling ⁴  at Jesus’ feet, he pleaded ⁵  with him to come to his house,