¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world,^(A)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.^{(A) 15} People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.^{(B) 16} In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.^(C)

¹² Conduct yourselves honorably among the gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.^[a](A)

⁴⁵ so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.^(A)

3 ¹ See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he^[a] is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.^{(A) 3} And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

The Ingathering of the Dispersed

Final Exhortation and Doxology

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish,^(A)

⁸ He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁴ Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. ¹⁵ Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct,^{(A) 16} for it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”^(B)

¹⁷ If you invoke as Father the one who judges impartially according to each person’s work, live in fear during the time of your exile.^(C)