³ Then Moses went up to God,^(A) and the Lord called^(B) to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ⁴ ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,^(C) and how I carried you on eagles’ wings^(D) and brought you to myself.^{(E) 5} Now if you obey me fully^(F) and keep my covenant,^(G) then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.^(H) Although the whole earth^(I) is mine, ⁶ you^[a] will be for me a kingdom of priests^(J) and a holy nation.’^(K) These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(A) a royal priesthood,^(B) a holy nation,^(C) God’s special possession,^(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{(E) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(F) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹ Dear friends,^(G) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(H) to abstain from sinful desires,^(I) which wage war against your soul.^{(J) 12} Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(K) and glorify God^(L) on the day he visits us.