¹⁵ Then God said to Noah, ¹⁶ “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.^{(A) 17} Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.”^(B)

¹⁸ So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives.^{(C) 19} All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another.

²⁰ Then Noah built an altar to the Lord^(D) and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean^(E) birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings^(F) on it. ²¹ The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma^(G) and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground^(H) because of humans, even though^[a] every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood.^(I) And never again will I destroy^(J) all living creatures,^(K) as I have done.

²⁷ “Now my soul is troubled,^(A) and what shall I say? ‘Father,^(B) save me from this hour’?^(C) No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸ Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven,^(D) “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” ²⁹ The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

³⁰ Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit,^(E) not mine. ³¹ Now is the time for judgment on this world;^(F) now the prince of this world^(G) will be driven out. ³² And I, when I am lifted up^[a] from the earth,^(H) will draw all people to myself.”^{(I) 33} He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.^(J)

²⁵ God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,^[a](A) through the shedding of his blood^(B)—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished^(C)— ²⁶ he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

²¹ To this^(A) you were called,^(B) because Christ suffered for you,^(C) leaving you an example,^(D) that you should follow in his steps.

²³ When they hurled their insults at him,^(G) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(H) Instead, he entrusted himself^(I) to him who judges justly.^{(J) 24} “He himself bore our sins”^(K) in his body on the cross,^(L) so that we might die to sins^(M) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^(N)

¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.^(A)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you,^(A) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(B) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform^(C) to the pattern of this world,^(D) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.^(E) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is^(F)—his good, pleasing^(G) and perfect will.