The Creation of the World

1 In the ^(A)beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. ² The earth was ^(B)without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

³ And God said, ^(C)“Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

6 What shall we say then? ^(A)Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can ^(B)we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us ^(C)who have been baptized ^(D)into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were ^(E)buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as ^(F)Christ was raised from the dead by ^(G)the glory of the Father, we too might walk in ^(H)newness of life.

⁵ For ^(I)if we have been united with him in ^(J)a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that ^(K)our old self^{[a] (L)}was crucified with him in order that ^(M)the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For ^(N)one who has died ^(O)has been set free^[b] from sin. ⁸ Now ^(P)if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that ^(Q)Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; ^(R)death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, ^(S)once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves ^(T)dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

^4 (A)John appeared, baptizing in ^(B)the wilderness and proclaiming ^(C)a baptism of ^(D)repentance ^(E)for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^(F)confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was ^(G)clothed with camel's hair and ^(H)wore a leather belt around his waist and ate ^(I)locusts and ^(J)wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, ^(K)“After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ^8 (L)I have baptized you with water, but ^(M)he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

^9 (N)In those days Jesus ^(O)came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And when he came up out of the water, immediately he ^(P)saw ^(Q)the heavens being torn open ^(R)and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And ^(S)a voice came from heaven, ^(T)“You are my beloved Son;^[a] with you I am well pleased.”