¹⁶ For I am not ^(A)ashamed of the gospel, for ^(B)it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the ^(C)Jew first and also to ^(D)the Greek. ¹⁷ For in it ^(E)the righteousness of God is revealed ^[a]from faith to faith; as it is written: “^[b](F)But the righteous one will live by faith.”

Unbelief and Its Consequences

¹⁸ For ^(G)the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who ^(H)suppress the truth ^[c]in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because ^(I)that which is known about God is evident ^[d]within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For ^(J)since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ^(K)being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse. ²¹ For even though they knew God, they did not ^[e]honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became ^(L)futile in their reasonings, and their senseless hearts were darkened. ^22 (M)Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and they ^(N)exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible mankind, of birds, four-footed animals, and ^[f]crawling creatures.

²⁴ Therefore ^(O)God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that their bodies would be ^(P)dishonored among them. ²⁵ For they exchanged the truth of God for ^[g](Q)falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, ^(R)who is blessed ^[h]forever. Amen.

²⁶ For this reason ^(S)God gave them over to ^(T)degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, ²⁷ and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations ^[i]with women and burned in their desire toward one another, ^(U)males with males committing ^[j]shameful acts and receiving in ^[k]their own persons the due penalty of their error.

²⁸ And just as they did not see fit ^[l]to acknowledge God, ^(V)God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, ²⁹ people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are ^(W)gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, ^[m](X)haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, ^(Y)disobedient to parents, ³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, ^(Z)unfeeling, and unmerciful; ³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of ^(AA)death, they not only do the same, but also ^(AB)approve of those who practice them.

^3 (A)Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our ^(B)common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you ^(C)contend earnestly for ^(D)the faith that was once for all time ^(E)handed down to ^(F)the ^[a]saints. ⁴ For certain people have ^(G)crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand ^[b](H)marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn ^(I)the grace of our God into ^(J)indecent behavior and ^(K)deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

⁵ Now I want to ^(L)remind you, though ^(M)you know everything once and for all, that ^[c]the Lord, ^(N)after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, ^[d]subsequently destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And ^(O)angels who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper dwelling place, these He has ^(P)kept in eternal restraints under darkness for the judgment of the great day, ⁷ just as ^(Q)Sodom and Gomorrah and the ^(R)cities around them, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in sexual perversion and ^(S)went after ^[e]strange flesh, are exhibited as an ^[f](T)example in undergoing the ^(U)punishment of eternal fire.

⁸ Yet in the same way these people also, dreaming, ^(V)defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak abusively of angelic ^[g]majesties. ⁹ But ^(W)Michael ^(X)the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about ^(Y)the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him an abusive judgment, but said, “^(Z)The Lord rebuke you!” ¹⁰ But ^(AA)these people disparage all the things that they do not understand; and ^(AB)all the things that they know by instinct, ^(AC)like unreasoning animals, by these things they are destroyed. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone ^(AD)the way of Cain, and for pay ^[h]they have given themselves up to ^(AE)the error of Balaam, and ^(AF)perished in the rebellion of Korah. ¹² These are the ones who are ^[i]hidden reefs ^(AG)in your love feasts when they feast with you ^(AH)without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; ^(AI)clouds without water, ^(AJ)carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, ^[j]doubly dead, ^(AK)uprooted; ^13 (AL)wild waves of the sea, churning up ^(AM)their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; wandering stars, ^(AN)for whom the ^[k]gloom of darkness has been reserved forever.

¹⁴ It was also about these people that ^(AO)Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “^(AP)Behold, the Lord has come with ^[l]many thousands of His holy ones, ^15 (AQ)to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ^(AR)ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” ¹⁶ These are ^(AS)grumblers, finding fault, ^(AT)following after their own lusts; ^[m]they speak ^(AU)arrogantly, flattering people ^(AV)for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

¹⁷ But you, ^(AW)beloved, ^(AX)ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by ^(AY)the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁸ that they were saying to you, “^(AZ)In the last time there will be mockers, ^(BA)following after their own ungodly lusts.” ¹⁹ These are the ones who cause divisions, ^[n](BB)worldly-minded, ^[o]devoid of the Spirit.

⁴ And he said to him, “Run, speak to that ^(A)young man there, saying, ‘^(B)Jerusalem will be inhabited ^(C)as open country because of the ^(D)multitude of people and cattle within it. ⁵ But I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a ^(E)wall of fire to her on all sides, and I will be the ^(F)glory in her midst.’”

^10 (A)Shout for joy and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for behold I am coming and I will ^(B)dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord. ¹¹ “And ^(C)many nations will join themselves to the Lord on that day and will become My people. Then I will ^(D)dwell in your midst, and you will ^(E)know that the Lord of armies has sent Me to you. ¹² And the Lord will ^[a](F)possess Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again ^(G)choose Jerusalem.

Song of Trust in God’s Protection

26 ^(A)On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: