²³ I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better,^(A)

¹⁵ Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.^(A)

²⁰ For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.^(A)

The New Life in Christ

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.^(A)

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)

⁵ So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a such a small fire!^{(A) 6} And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of life, and is itself set on fire by hell.^{[a](B) 7} For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸ but no one can tame the tongue—a restless^[b] evil, full of deadly poison.^{(C) 9} With it we bless the Lord^[c] and Father, and with it we curse people, made in the likeness of God.^{(D) 10} From the same mouth comes a blessing and a curse. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.