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)

¹³ for it is God who works in you^(A) to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.^(B)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run^(A) with perseverance^(B) the race marked out for us,

¹⁴ The Lord will fight^(A) for you; you need only to be still.”^(B)

¹⁶ For God so loved^(A) the world that he gave^(B) his one and only Son,^(C) that whoever believes^(D) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^(E)

²¹ nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’^(A) because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”^[a]

¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,^(A) but of righteousness, peace^(B) and joy in the Holy Spirit,^(C)

¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork,^(A) created^(B) in Christ Jesus to do good works,^(C) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

¹³ “Make level paths for your feet,”^[a](A) so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.^(B)