⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,^(A) so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,^(B) having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.^(C)

²⁵ I will sprinkle^(A) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse^(B) you from all your impurities^(C) and from all your idols.^{(D) 26} I will give you a new heart^(E) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone^(F) and give you a heart of flesh.^{(G) 27} And I will put my Spirit^(H) in you and move you to follow my decrees^(I) and be careful to keep my laws.^(J)

¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.^(A)

¹⁰ and have put on the new self,^(A) which is being renewed^(B) in knowledge in the image of its Creator.^(C)

²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds;^{(A) 24} and to put on^(B) the new self,^(C) created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.^(D)

² Dear friends,^(A) now we are children of God,^(B) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,^[a](C) we shall be like him,^(D) for we shall see him as he is.^(E)

¹⁷ Therefore,

¹⁸ And,

7 Therefore, since we have these promises,^(E) dear friends,^(F) let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness^(G) out of reverence for God.

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.

¹⁸ For they mouth empty, boastful words^(A) and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping^(B) from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”^{(C) 20} If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing^(D) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ^(E) and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.^(F)