yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; 11 if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; if any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion 1 for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Gr. unto the 2 Gr. in. 3 Some ancient authorities omit exercising the oversight. 4 Some ancient according unto God. 5 Or, Like awise 12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto 13 you: but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice 14 with exceeding joy. If ye are reproached 2 for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon 15 you. For let none of you suf- yourselves fer as a murderer, or a thief, with, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler humility 16 in other men's matters: but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this 17 name. For the time is come for judgement to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the 18 gospel of God? And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and 19 sinner appear? Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator. elder; yea, all of you one to an other. 6 Or, the 7 Gr. being accom plished. 8 Gr. bro- Or, restore 10 Many ancient authorities add settle. 5 The elders therefore among 11 Gr. the. The church, or, The sister. mong you, 3 exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, 4 according unto God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither 3 as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. And when the chief 4 Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 Likewise, ye younger, be sub- 5 ject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves there- 6 fore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all 7 your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. Be 8 sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom 9 withstand stedfast in 6 your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are 7 accomplished in your & brethren who are in the world. And the God of 10 all grace, who called you unto: his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself 9 perfect, stablish, strengthen 10 you. To him be the dominion for 11 ever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, 11 our faithful 12 brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that stand ye fast therein. 12 She 13 this is the true grace of God: with you, saluteth you; and so that is in Babylon, elect together doth Mark my son. Salute one 14 another with a kiss of love. Peace be unto you all that are in Christ. L 1 PETER. ancient authori- 2 Gr. bond 3 servant. equally precious. 4 Or, our God and the Saviour 5 Some 1 SIMON Peter, a 2 servant | 1 Many and apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained 3 a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of 4 our God and Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that called us 5 by his 4 own glory and virtue; whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by 5 lust. Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue 6 knowledge; and in your know- 9 Or, deledge temperance; and in parture your 7 temperance patience; 10 Gr. and in your patience godli ancient authori- virtue. 7 Or, self control 8 Or, presence. 7 ness; and in your godliness 11 Gr. love of the brethren; and in having your love of the brethren love. received. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our 9 Lord Jesus Christ. For he that lacketh these things is blind, 8 seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. 10 Wherefore, brethren, give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall 16 Gr. was brought. 11 never stumble: for thus shall 12 Gr. was be richly supplied unto you Wherefore I shall be ready 12 always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with you. And I think it right, 13 as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that the putting off 14 of my tabernacle cometh swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me. Yea, 15 I will give diligence that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance. For 16 we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and 10 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For 17 he 11 received from God the Father honour and glory, when there 12 came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: and 18 this voice we ourselves heard 13 come out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount. And we have the 19 word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a 14 dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no pro- 20 phecy of scripture is of 15 private interpretation. For no 21 prophecy ever 16 came by the will of man: but men spake Spirit 2 Or, sects of perdition 3 Or, geons 5 Some ties read 6 Gr. a 7 Gr. tor- 8 Gr. ble not to rail at & dignities: 1 Or, Holy whereas angels, though greater 11 in might and power, bring not 2 But there arose false proa railing judgement against phets also among the people, them before the Lord. But 12 as among you also there shall these, as creatures without reabe false teachers, who shall son, born mere animals 10 to privily bring in 2 destructive be taken and destroyed, railheresies, denying even the Mas- into dun ing in matters whereof they ter that bought them, bringare ignorant, shall in their ing upon themselves swift de- 4 Gr. 11 destroying surely be destroy2 struction. And many shall Tartarus. ed, suffering wrong as the hire 13 follow their lascivious doings; of wrong-doing; men that by reason of whom the way of count it pleasure to revel in the truth shall be evil spoken the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their 12 lovefeasts while they feast with you; having eyes full of 12 adul- 14 tery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing; forsaking the right 15 way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of 14 Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing; but 16 he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet. These are springs 17 without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved. For, uttering 18 great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error; pro-19 mising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption for of 15 whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage. For if, after they 20 have escaped defilements natural. and to 3 of. And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruc4 tion slumbereth not. For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed glories. them to 5 pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement; 9 Gr. 5 and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with 10 Or, seven others, a preacher of to take righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the destroy 6 ungodly; and turning the 11 Or, corcities of Sodom and Gomor- ruption rah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, hav- 12 Many ancient ing made them an example authoriunto those that should live ties read 7 ungodly; and delivered right- deceivcous Lot, sore distressed by ings. the lascivious life of the wick- 13 Gr. 8 ed (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, 7 vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds): 9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of tempta an adul- 14 Many tion, and to keep the unright 150r, what of the world through thements under punishment 10 the day of judgement; but 16 Many ties read our. ledge of 16 the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than 1 Gr. in 21 the first. For it were better presence. through 4 Or, 3 This is now, beloved, the se- wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of 10 the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that these things 11 are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and 12 7 earnestly desiring the 2 coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? But, ac- 18 cording to his promise, we with five look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. bodies Wherefore, beloved, seeing 14 that ye look for these things, 5 Or, give diligence that ye may be heavenly found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. And account that the longsuf- 15 fering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved bro heavens from of old, and an 6 The most ther Paul also, according to earth compacted out of water ancient the wisdom given to him, wrote and amidst water, by the word scripts unto you; as also in all his 16 6 of God; by which means the read dis- epistles, speaking in them of world that then was, being covered. these things; wherein are some overflowed with water, perish things hard to be understood, 7 ed: but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been 4 stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men. which the ignorant and un stedfast wrest, as they do also 7 Or, 8 But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one 9 day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not 8 Gr. unto the day of eternity. the other scriptures, unto their hastening 20 THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. ! 1 THAT which was from the man sin, we have an Adrocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he 2 is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. And hereby know we that we 3 know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I 4 which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); 3 that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus 4 Christ: and these things we write, that 2 our joy may be fulfilled. his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him: but whoso keepeth his word, 5 in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby know we that we are in him: he that saith he abideth in 6 him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. 5 And this is the message which we have heard from him, and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him 6 is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not 2 Many ties read your. 7 the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from 3 Or, 8 all sin. If we say that we have Comforter Or, no sin, we deceive ourselves, Helper 9 and the truth is not in us. If Gr. Parawe confess our sins, he is faith- clete. ful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us 10 from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye may not sin, And if any Beloved, no new command-7 ment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard. Again, a new 8 commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth. He that saith he is in the 9 light, and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. He that loveth his bro- 10 ther abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he 11 that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes. I write unto you, my little 12 children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, fa- 13 |