¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness^(A) and brought us into the kingdom^(B) of the Son he loves,^(C)

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(A) a royal priesthood,^(B) a holy nation,^(C) God’s special possession,^(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^(E)

³⁰ In the past God overlooked^(A) such ignorance,^(B) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.^{(C) 31} For he has set a day when he will judge^(D) the world with justice^(E) by the man he has appointed.^(F) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”^(G)

⁴ The god^(A) of this age^(B) has blinded^(C) the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ,^(D) who is the image of God.^{(E) 5} For what we preach is not ourselves,^(F) but Jesus Christ as Lord,^(G) and ourselves as your servants^(H) for Jesus’ sake. ⁶ For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”^[a](I) made his light shine in our hearts^(J) to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.^(K)

¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate^[a](A) the Lord’s glory,^(B) are being transformed into his image^(C) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.^{(A) 22} Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools^{(B) 23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images^(C) made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

²⁴ Therefore God gave them over^(D) in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.^{(E) 25} They exchanged the truth about God for a lie,^(F) and worshiped and served created things^(G) rather than the Creator—who is forever praised.^(H) Amen.^(I)

²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over^(J) to shameful lusts.^(K) Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.^{(L) 27} In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.^(M)

²⁸ Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over^(N) to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. ²⁹ They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,^{(O) 30} slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;^{(P) 31} they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love,^(Q) no mercy. ³² Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death,^(R) they not only continue to do these very things but also approve^(S) of those who practice them.

² But for you who revere my name,^(A) the sun of righteousness^(B) will rise with healing^(C) in its rays. And you will go out and frolic^(D) like well-fed calves.

¹⁸ to open their eyes^(A) and turn them from darkness to light,^(B) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins^(C) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’^(D)