Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

2 There was a time when you were dead. That was because of the bad and the wrong things you did.

² At one time you did those wrong things, just like the people around you. You obeyed the ruler who has the power over things in the air. That ruler is the spirit who is working now in the people who do not obey God.

³ At one time we too all lived like them. We lived to please ourselves. We did what our bodies and our minds wanted us to do. We were people with whom God was angry, just like other people.

⁴ But God was very, very kind. He loved us very, very much.

⁵ We were dead because of the wrong things we had done. He has made us alive with Christ. You have been saved by his love and kindness.

⁶ God raised us from death with Christ Jesus and gave us a place to sit with him in heaven.

⁷ He did this to show us in all times to come how much he can bless people and how kind he is. It was Jesus Christ who brought this kindness to us.

⁸ You have been saved by God's love and kindness because you believed. It was not because of anything you did, but it was a gift from God.

⁹ You were not saved by trying to do what the law says. So no one can be proud about it.

¹⁰ God has made us. In Jesus Christ God made us so that we can do good things. He planned that we should live that way.

¹⁴ Moses lifted up a snake on a piece of wood in the desert. So the Son of Man must be lifted up.

¹⁵ Then everyone who believes in him will not die, but will live for ever.

¹⁶ `God loved the world so very, very much that he gave his only Son. Because he did that, everyone who believes in him will not lose his life, but will live for ever.

¹⁷ God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent him to save the world.

¹⁸ `Everyone who believes in the Son will not be judged. But everyone who does not believe in him is judged already, because he does not believe in the name of God's only Son.

¹⁹ Light came into the world. But people wanted to be in the dark because they did wrong things. They did not want the light. That is why they are judged.

²⁰ Everyone who does wrong things hates light. He does not come to the light because he is afraid people will see what he does and will say it is bad.

²¹ But everyone who does what is right comes to the light. He wants people to see that God helps him to do what is right.'