⁴⁶ he said to them, “Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day,^(A) so that you may command^(B) your children to obey carefully all the words of this law.

³ For you have spent enough time in the past^(A) doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.^{(B) 4} They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you.^(C)

²⁷ Just as people are destined to die once,^(A) and after that to face judgment,^(B)

¹⁹ Their destiny^(A) is destruction, their god is their stomach,^(B) and their glory is in their shame.^(C) Their mind is set on earthly things.^(D)

²¹ What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!^{(A) 22} But now that you have been set free from sin^(B) and have become slaves of God,^(C) the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.^(D)

⁶ On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much ⁷ that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” ⁹ The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted ¹⁰ and had John beheaded^(A) in the prison. ¹¹ His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. ¹² John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it.^(B) Then they went and told Jesus.