Readings for Lent and Easter
8 [a]Now to sum up, (A)all of you be like-minded, sympathetic, (B)brotherly, (C)tender-hearted, and (D)humble in spirit; 9 (E)not returning evil for evil or (F)reviling for reviling, but [b]giving a (G)blessing instead, for (H)you were called for the very purpose that you might (I)inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“(J)The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 (K)He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 (L)For the eyes of the [c]Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the [d]Lord is against those who do evil.”
Suffering for Righteousness
13 (M)And who is [e]there to [f]harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should (N)suffer for the sake of righteousness, (O)you [g]are blessed. (P)And do not fear their fear, and do not be troubled, 15 but [h]sanctify (Q)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready (R)to make [i]a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (S)hope that is in you, yet (T)with gentleness and (U)fear, 16 having a (V)good conscience so that in the thing in which (W)you are slandered, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For (X)it is better, (Y)if [j]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing good rather than for doing wrong. 18 For (Z)Christ also suffered for sins (AA)once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, so that He might (AB)bring you to God, having been put to death (AC)in the flesh, but made alive (AD)in the [k]spirit;
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