²⁸ Be on guard for yourselves and for all ^(A)the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you ^[a]overseers, to shepherd ^(B)the church of God which ^(C)He ^[b]purchased ^[c]with His own blood.

^23 (A)You were bought for a price; do not become slaves of people.

¹⁸ knowing that you were not ^[a](A)redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your ^(B)futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, ¹⁹ but with precious ^(C)blood, as of a ^(D)lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. ²⁰ For He was ^(E)foreknown before ^(F)the foundation of the world, but has ^(G)appeared ^[b]in these last times ^(H)for the sake of you ²¹ who through Him are ^(I)believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and ^(J)gave Him glory, so that your faith and ^(K)hope are in God.

²² Since you have ^(L)purified your souls ^(M)in obedience to the truth for a ^(N)sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from ^[c]the heart, ²³ for you have been ^(O)born again ^(P)not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring ^(Q)word of God. ²⁴ For,

And this is ^(T)the word which was ^[d]preached to you.

The Appearance of False Prophets

2 But ^(A)false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be ^(B)false teachers ^(C)among you, who will ^(D)secretly introduce ^(E)destructive heresies, even ^(F)denying the ^(G)Master who ^(H)bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

⁹ And they *sang a ^(A)new song, saying,