1 Remind them to be submissive to their rulers and authorities; they must obey, they must be ready for any good work,
2 they must abuse no one, they must not quarrel, but be conciliatory and display perfect gentleness to all men.
3 For we ourselves were once senseless, disobedient, astray, enslaved to all manner of passions and pleasures; we spent our days in malice and envy, we were hateful, and we hated one another.
4 But "the goodness and affection of God our Saviour appeared;
5 and he saved us, not for anything we had done but from his own pity for us, by the water that means regeneration and renewal under the holy Spirit
6 which he poured upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
7 that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs to the hope of life eternal."
8 It is a sure saying. I want you to insist on this, that those who have faith in God must profess honest occupations. Such counsels are right and good for men.
9 But avoid foolish controversy, and let genealogies and dissensions and strife over the Law alone, for these are fruitless and futile.
10 After a first and a second warning have no more to do with a factious person;
11 you may be sure a man like that is perverted; he is sinning and he knows it.