⁶ “Blessed are ^(A)those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

⁷ “Blessed are ^(B)the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

⁸ “Blessed are ^(C)the pure in heart, for ^(D)they will see God.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for ^(E)they will be called sons of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who have been ^(F)persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for ^(G)theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

17 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, ^(A)the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him,

²² that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to ^(A)rid yourselves of the ^(B)old ^[a]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the ^(C)lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you are to be ^(D)renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴ and to ^(E)put on the ^(F)new ^[b]self, which ^[c](G)in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, ^(H)ridding yourselves of falsehood, ^(I)speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, because we are ^(J)parts of one another.

^19 [a](A)You know this, ^(B)my beloved brothers and sisters. Now everyone must be quick to hear, ^(C)slow to speak, and ^(D)slow to anger; ²⁰ for a man’s ^(E)anger does not bring about the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore, ^(F)ridding yourselves of all filthiness and all ^[b]that remains of wickedness, in ^[c]humility receive ^(G)the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. ^22 (H)But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his ^[d]natural face ^(I)in a mirror; ²⁴ for once he has looked at himself and gone away, ^[e]he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. ²⁵ But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, ^(J)the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but ^[f]an active doer, this person will be ^(K)blessed in ^[g]what he does.

²⁶ If anyone thinks himself to be religious, yet does not ^[h](L)bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this person’s religion is worthless. ²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion ^(M)in the sight of our God and Father is this: to ^(N)visit ^(O)orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained ^[i]by ^(P)the world.

As Newborn Babes

2 Therefore, ^(A)rid yourselves of all ^[a]malice and all deceit and ^[b]hypocrisy and ^[c]envy and all ^[d](B)slander,