5 For this very reason, adding your diligence {to the divine promises}, employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in {exercising} virtue {develop} knowledge (intelligence),
6 And in {exercising} knowledge {develop} self-control, and in {exercising} self-control {develop} steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in {exercising} steadfastness {develop} godliness (piety),
7 And in {exercising} godliness {develop} brotherly affection, and in {exercising} brotherly affection {develop} Christian love.
8 For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep {you} from being idle or unfruitful unto the {full personal} knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
9 For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, {spiritually} shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious {to the fact} that he was cleansed from his old sins.