^16 (A)Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone ^[a]defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

¹⁹ Or ^(A)do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, ^(B)and you are not your own? ²⁰ For ^(C)you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body ^[a]and in your spirit, which are God’s.

²² Abstain from every form of evil.

Blessing and Admonition

²³ Now may ^(A)the God of peace Himself ^(B)sanctify^[a] you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body ^(C)be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

^15 (A)but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written, ^(B)“Be holy, for I am holy.”

¹⁷ And if you call on the Father, who ^(C)without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your ^[a]stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with ^[b]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but ^(D)with the precious blood of Christ, ^(E)as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ^20 (F)He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was ^[c]manifest ^(G)in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, ^(H)who raised Him from the dead and ^(I)gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

The Enduring Word

²² Since you ^(J)have purified your souls in obeying the truth ^[d]through the Spirit in ^[e]sincere ^(K)love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ^23 (L)having been born again, not of ^[f]corruptible seed but ^[g]incorruptible, ^(M)through the word of God which lives and abides ^[h]forever, ²⁴ because

^(P)Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.