But keep away from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace, in company with others ¹  who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ² 

he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit,

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions ¹  with the oil of rejoicing.” ² 

To him ¹  also Abraham apportioned a tithe ²  of everything. ³  His name first means ⁴  king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace.

Now all discipline seems painful at the time, not joyful. ¹  But later it produces the fruit of peace and righteousness ²  for those trained by it.

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” ¹  and he was called God’s friend. ² 

From Simeon ¹  Peter, ²  a slave ³  and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God ⁴  and Savior, ⁵  Jesus Christ, have been granted ⁶  a faith just as precious ⁷  as ours.

For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them.

The evildoer must continue to do evil, ¹  and the one who is morally filthy ²  must continue to be filthy. The ³  one who is righteous must continue to act righteously, and the one who is holy must continue to be holy.”

For I tell you, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law ¹  and the Pharisees, ²  you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

“Be ¹  careful not to display your righteousness merely to be seen by people. ²  Otherwise you have no reward with your Father in heaven.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although ¹  you saw this, you did not later change your minds ²  and believe him.

and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ¹  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ² 

because he has set ¹  a day on which he is going to judge the world ²  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ³  having provided proof to everyone by raising ⁴  him from the dead.”

While Paul ¹  was discussing ²  righteousness, self-control, ³  and the coming judgment, Felix ⁴  became ⁵  frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, ⁶  I will send for you.”

This was ¹  also to demonstrate ²  his righteousness in the present time, so that he would be just ³  and the justifier of the one who lives because of Jesus’ faithfulness. ⁴ 

For if, by the transgression of the one man, ¹  death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

and do not present your members to sin as instruments ¹  to be used for unrighteousness, ²  but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments ³  to be used for righteousness.

(I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.) ¹  For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

Now God ¹  who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow.