For you became imitators, brothers and sisters, ¹  of God’s churches in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, because you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they in fact did from the Jews,

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, ¹  and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But we command you, brothers and sisters, ¹  in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined ²  life ³  and not according to the tradition they ⁴  received from us.

But here is why I was treated with mercy: so that ¹  in me as the worst, ²  Christ Jesus could demonstrate his utmost patience, as an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life.

By pointing out such things to the brothers and sisters, ¹  you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, having nourished yourself on the words of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. ² 

He is the one who saved us ¹  and called us with a holy calling, not based on ²  our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began, ³ 

but now made visible through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. He ¹  has broken the power of death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel!

From Paul, ¹  a slave ²  of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith ³  of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness,

But Christ ¹  is faithful as a son over God’s ²  house. We are of his house, ³  if in fact we hold firmly ⁴  to our confidence and the hope we take pride in. ⁵ 

So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God, ¹  who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,” ² 

During his earthly life ¹  Christ ²  offered ³  both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion.

But now Christ has come ¹  as the high priest of the good things to come. He passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation,

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our ¹  consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation ¹  of the true sanctuary ²  – but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us.

so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, ¹  to those who eagerly await him he will appear a second time, not to bear sin ²  but to bring salvation. ³ 

Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ,

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling ¹  with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure! ² 

Therefore, get your minds ready for action ¹  by being fully sober, and set your hope ²  completely on the grace that will be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ³ 

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.