1 How blessed and marvelous are the gifts of God, dear friends! 2 Life in immortality, splendor in righteousness, truth in boldness, faith in confidence, self-control in holiness! And all these things are within our understanding. 3 What then, do you think, are the things being prepared for those who patiently wait for Him? The Creator and Father of the ages, the All-holy One Himself knows their number and their beauty. 4 Let us therefore strive to be found among the number of those who patiently wait for Him, so that we may share in His promised gifts. 5 But how shall this be, dear friends? If our mind is fixed on God through faith; if we seek out what is pleasing and acceptable to Him; if we do what fits His faultless will and follow the way of truth, casting off from ourselves all unrighteousness and iniquity, greed, quarrels, malice and deceit, gossip and slander, hatred of God, pride and arrogance, conceit and inhospitality.⁠a 6 For those who do these things are hateful to God; and not only those who do them, but also those who approve of them. 7 For the scripture says, “But to the sinner God said,⁠b ‘Why do you declare My ordinances, and take My covenant upon your lips?’” 8 “Yet you hated instruction and threw My words behind you. If you saw a thief you kept company with him, and with the adulterers you set your portion. Your mouth multiplied wickedness and your tongue wove deceit. You sat and spoke against your brother, and against the son of your mother you laid a stumbling block.” 9 “These things you have done, and I kept silent. You thought, unrighteous man, that I would be like you.” 10 “I will convict you and will set you face to face with yourself.” 11 “Now understand these things, you who forget God, or He may seize you like a lion, and there will be no one to rescue you.” 12 “The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me, and there is the way in which I will show him the salvation of God.”