²⁶ Then God said, ^(A)“Let us make man^[a] in our image, ^(B)after our likeness. And ^(C)let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

The Righteousness of God Through Faith

²¹ But now ^(A)the righteousness of God ^(B)has been manifested apart from the law, although ^(C)the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²² the righteousness of God ^(D)through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. ^(E)For there is no distinction: ²³ for ^(F)all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ^24 (G)and are justified ^(H)by his grace as a gift, ^(I)through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵ whom God ^(J)put forward as ^(K)a propitiation ^(L)by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in ^(M)his divine forbearance he had passed over ^(N)former sins.

One in Christ

¹¹ Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called ^(A)the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— ¹² remember ^(B)that you were at that time separated from Christ, ^(C)alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to ^(D)the covenants of promise, ^(E)having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were ^(F)far off have been brought near ^(G)by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For ^(H)he himself is our peace, ^(I)who has made us both one and has broken down ^(J)in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility ¹⁵ by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ^(K)ordinances, that he might create in himself one ^(L)new man in place of the two, so making peace, ¹⁶ and might ^(M)reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

⁹ After this I looked, and behold, ^(A)a great multitude that no one could number, ^(B)from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, ^(C)clothed in white robes, with ^(D)palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, ^(E)“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”