⁹ But you are ^(A)a chosen people, a royal ^(B)priesthood, a ^(C)holy nation, ^(D)a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you ^(E)out of darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (F)for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

^11 (G)Beloved, ^(H)I urge you as ^(I)foreigners and strangers to abstain from ^(J)fleshly lusts, which wage ^(K)war against the soul. ^12 (L)Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they ^(M)slander you as evildoers, they may ^[a]because of your good deeds, as they observe them, ^(N)glorify God ^(O)on the day of ^[b]visitation.