But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Because thou art a holy people to the Lord thy God. The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be his peculiar people of all peoples that are upon the earth.
The Lord will raise thee up to be a holy people to himself. As he swore to thee: If thou keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways.
And to make thee higher than all nations which he hath created, to his own praise, and name, and glory. That thou mayst be a holy people of the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.
I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercy of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing unto God, your reasonable service.
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. In these the second death hath no power; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ; and shall reign with him a thousand years.
But you shall be called the priests of the Lord: to you it shall be said: Ye ministers of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles and you shall pride yourselves in their glory.
But whatsoever is dead of itself eat not thereof. Give it to the stranger, that is within thy gates, to eat: or sell it to him: because thou art the holy people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in the milk of his dam.
Yet so that he enter not within the veil, nor approach to the altar: because he hath a blemish, and he must not defile my sanctuary. I am the Lord who sanctify them.
But to you I say: Possess their land which I will give you for an inheritance, a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, who have separated you from other people.
Saying: If thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God, and do what is right before him, and obey his commandments, and keep all his precepts, none of the evils that I laid upon Egypt will I bring upon thee: for I am the Lord thy healer.
For thou hast separated them to thyself for an inheritance from among all the people of the earth, as thou hast spoken by Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.
But this thing I commanded them, saying: Hearken to my voice, and I will be your God and you shall be my people. And walk ye in all the way that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.
For as the girdle sticketh close to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me all of the house of Israel and all the house of Juda, saith the Lord: that they might be my people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory. But they would not hear.
And when they had stood up against Moses and Aaron, they said: Let it be enough for you, that all the multitude consisteth of holy ones, and the Lord is among them. Why lift you up yourselves above the people of the Lord?
Yet now take courage, O Zorobabel, saith the Lord, and take courage, O Jesus the son of Josedec the high priest, and take courage, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord of hosts: and perform (for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts)