⁴³ And if your hand causes your downfall, cut it off.^(A) It is better for you to enter life maimed^(B) than to have two hands and go to hell—the unquenchable fire,^(C) [⁴⁴ where

⁴⁵ And if your foot causes your downfall,^(E) cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame^(F) than to have two feet and be thrown into hell— [the unquenchable fire,^{(G) 46} where

⁴⁷ And if your eye causes your downfall, gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God^(I) with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown^(J) into hell,^{(K) 48} where

⁵ For those who live^[a] according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh,^(A) but those who live^[b] according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For the mind-set of the flesh^(B) is death,^(C) but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile^(D) to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh^(E) cannot please God. ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since^[c] the Spirit of God lives in you.^(F) But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,^(G) he does not belong to Him. ¹⁰ Now if Christ is in you,^(H) the body is dead^[d] because of sin, but the Spirit^[e] is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead^(I) lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through^[f] His Spirit who lives in you.

The Holy Spirit’s Ministries

¹² So then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, ¹³ for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,^(J) you will live. ¹⁴ All those led by God’s Spirit^(K) are God’s sons.^{(L) 15} For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear,^(M) but you received the Spirit of adoption,^(N) by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”^{(O) 16} The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit^(P) that we are God’s children,

Warning against Rejecting God’s Grace

¹⁴ Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness^(A)—without it no one will see the Lord.^{(B) 15} Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many.^{(C) 16} And make sure that there isn’t any immoral or irreverent^(D) person like Esau, who sold his birthright in exchange for one meal.^{(E) 17} For you know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected because he didn’t find any opportunity for repentance, though he sought it with tears.^(F)

¹⁸ For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm, ¹⁹ to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. (Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them, ²⁰ for they could not bear what was commanded: And if even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned!^{(G)[a] 21} The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am terrified and trembling.^(H)[b]) ²² Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels in festive gathering,^{(I) 23} to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written^[c] in heaven, to God who is the Judge of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect,^{(J) 24} to Jesus (mediator^(K) of a new covenant^(L)), and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel.^(M)

²⁵ Make sure that you do not reject the One who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected Him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven.^{(N) 26} His voice shook the earth at that time, but now He has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.^{(O)[d] 27} This expression, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of what can be shaken^(P)—that is, created things—so that what is not shaken might remain. ²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace.^[e] By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe,^{(Q) 29} for our God is a consuming fire.^(R)