¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward^(A) to the day of God and speed its coming.^[a](B) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.^{(C) 13} But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,^(D) where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless^(E) and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience^(F) means salvation,^(G) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.^{(H) 16} He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable^(I) people distort,^(J) as they do the other Scriptures,^(K) to their own destruction.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard^(L) so that you may not be carried away by the error^(M) of the lawless^(N) and fall from your secure position.^{(O) 18} But grow in the grace^(P) and knowledge^(Q) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(R) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.^(S)

BOOK IV

Psalms 90–106

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar^(A)

¹³ Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians^(B) to Jesus to catch him^(C) in his words. ¹⁴ They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[a] to Caesar or not? ¹⁵ Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”^(D)

And they were amazed at him.