John the Baptist Prepares the Way

3 ^(A)In those days ^(B)John the Baptist came preaching in ^(C)the wilderness of Judea, ^2 (D)“Repent, for ^(E)the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”^{[a] 3} For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

⁴ Now John wore ^(H)a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was ^(I)locusts and ^(J)wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, ^(K)confessing their sins.

⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and ^(A)this mortal body must put on immortality.

² For in this tent ^(A)we groan, longing to ^(B)put on our heavenly dwelling, ³ if indeed by putting it on^[a] we may not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal ^(C)may be swallowed up by life.

²⁷ For as many of you as ^(A)were baptized ^(B)into Christ have ^(C)put on Christ.

²² to ^(A)put off ^(B)your old self,^[a] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through ^(C)deceitful desires, ²³ and ^(D)to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to put on ^(E)the new self, ^(F)created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

^9 (A)Do not lie to one another, seeing that ^(B)you have put off ^(C)the old self^[a] with its practices ¹⁰ and ^(D)have put on ^(E)the new self, ^(F)which is being renewed in knowledge ^(G)after the image of ^(H)its creator. ^11 (I)Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,^[b] free; but Christ is ^(J)all, and in all.

^12 (K)Put on then, as ^(L)God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, ^(M)compassionate hearts, ^(N)kindness, ^(O)humility, meekness, and patience,