¹⁶ They profess to ^(A)know God, but ^(B)in works they deny Him, being ^[a]abominable, disobedient, ^(C)and disqualified for every good work.

¹³ Therefore the Lord said:

^7 (A)Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood

2 Therefore, ^(A)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ^2 (B)as newborn babes, desire the pure ^(C)milk of the word, that you may grow ^[a]thereby,

Doers—Not Hearers Only

²¹ Therefore ^(A)lay aside all filthiness and ^[a]overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, ^(B)which is able to save your souls.

²² But ^(C)be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

¹⁶ These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted ^(A)the heavenly gift, and ^(B)have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ^6 [a]if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, ^(C)since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Hearing and Not Doing

³⁰ “As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they ^(A)speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the Lord.’ ³¹ So ^(B)they come to you as people do, they ^(C)sit before you as My people, and they ^(D)hear your words, but they do not do them; ^(E)for with their mouth they show much love, but ^(F)their hearts pursue their own gain. ³² Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do ^(G)not do them. ^33 (H)And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then ^(I)they will know that a prophet has been among them.”