especially those who indulge their fleshly desires ¹  and who despise authority. Brazen and insolent, ²  they are not afraid to insult ³  the glorious ones, ⁴ 

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; ¹  only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, ²  but through love serve one another. ³ 

And let us not be immoral, as some of them were, and twenty-three thousand died in a single day. ¹ 

Because they are callous, they have given themselves over to indecency for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ¹ 

¹ When ²  Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to commit sexual immorality ³  with the daughters of Moab.

Death and life are in the power ¹  of the tongue, ²  and those who love its use ³  will eat its fruit.

Discipline your child, for ¹  there is hope, but do not set your heart ²  on causing his death. ³ 

They consume their alcohol, then engage in cult prostitution; they dearly love their shameful behavior.

Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to arouse its desires. ¹ 

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people.

I wish that you would be patient with me in a little foolishness, but indeed you are being patient with me!

But avoid profane chatter, ¹  because those occupied with it will stray further and further into ungodliness, ² 

So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings and brought peace offerings, and the people sat down to eat and drink, ¹  and they rose up to play. ² 

What ¹  did you go out to see? A man dressed in fancy ²  clothes? ³  Look, those who wear fancy clothes and live in luxury ⁴  are in kings’ courts! ⁵ 

So do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” ¹ 

These people are grumblers and ¹  fault-finders who go ²  wherever their desires lead them, ³  and they give bombastic speeches, ⁴  enchanting folks ⁵  for their own gain. ⁶ 

In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, ¹  practicing homosexuals, ² 

Even though they have the appearance of wisdom ¹  with their self-imposed worship and false humility ²  achieved by an ³  unsparing treatment of the body – a wisdom with no true value – they in reality result in fleshly indulgence. ⁴ 

suffering harm as the wages for their harmful ways. ¹  By considering it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight, ²  they are stains and blemishes, indulging ³  in their deceitful pleasures when they feast together with you.