²⁶ Then God said, ^(A)“Let us make man^[a] in our image, ^(B)after our likeness. And ^(C)let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

²³ for ^(A)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

^23 (A)For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

⁸ But what does it say? ^(A)“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); ⁹ because, if ^(B)you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and ^(C)believe in your heart ^(D)that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

³ For ^(A)we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. ⁴ But when ^(B)the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, ^(C)not because of works done by us in righteousness, but ^(D)according to his own mercy, by ^(E)the washing of regeneration and ^(F)renewal of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he ^(G)poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that ^(H)being justified by his grace we might become ^(I)heirs ^(J)according to the hope of eternal life. ⁸ The saying is ^(K)trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful ^(L)to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.

^19 (A)Repent therefore, and ^(B)turn back, that ^(C)your sins may be blotted out, ²⁰ that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ ^(D)appointed for you, Jesus, ^21 (E)whom heaven must receive until the time for ^(F)restoring all the things about which ^(G)God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

²¹ Baptism, which corresponds to this, ^(A)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but ^(B)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, ^(C)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and ^(D)is at the right hand of God, ^(E)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is ^(A)in Christ, he is ^(B)a new creation.^{[a] (C)}The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.