² Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

³ as His ^(A)divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him ^(B)who called us by glory and virtue, ^4 (C)by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be ^(D)partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the ^[a]corruption that is in the world through lust.

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

⁵ But also for this very reason, ^(E)giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue ^(F)knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control ^[b]perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and ^(G)to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither ^[c]barren ^(H)nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these things is ^(I)shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

^18 (A)but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

^(B)To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

^4 (A)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of ^(B)your love for all the saints; ⁵ because of the hope ^(C)which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, ^(D)as it has also in all the world, and ^(E)is bringing forth ^[a]fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew ^(F)the grace of God in truth;

⁸ And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ^(A)“love will cover a multitude of sins.”

^5 (A)hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶ that the sharing of your faith may become effective ^(B)by the acknowledgment of ^(C)every good thing which is in ^[a]you in Christ Jesus. ⁷ For we ^[b]have great ^[c]joy and ^[d]consolation in your love, because the ^[e]hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

Their Conversion

¹³ For this reason we also thank God ^(A)without ceasing, because when you ^(B)received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^(C)not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively ^(D)works in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brethren, became imitators ^(E)of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For ^(F)you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans,

God’s Final Judgment and Glory

³ We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other,

The Assurance of God’s Saving Work

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.