1 decease to call these things 16 to remembrance. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and 2 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of 17 his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 18 well pleased: and this voice we ourselves heard 5 come out of heaven, when we were with 19 him in the holy mount. And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise 20 in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of 7 private interpreta21 tion. For no prophecy ever 8 came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the 9 Holy Ghost. 21 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in 10 destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves 2 swift destruction. And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. And in covet- 3 ousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. For if God spared not angels 4 when they sinned, but 11 cast them down to 12 hell, and committed them to 13 pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgement; and spared not the 5 ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, 14 a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; and 6 turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly; and de- 7 livered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked (for that right- 8 eous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, 15vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds): the Lord knoweth how 9 to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgement; but chiefly them that 10 walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, selfwilled, they tremble not to rail at 16 dignities: whereas angels, 11 though greater in might and 7 Or, 3 Gr. having received. 4 Gr. was 5 Gr. brought. 6 Gr. squalid. 9 Or, Holy Spirit 10 Or, sects of perdungeons 1 Or, departure 2 Gr. presence. brought...by the majestic glory. special 8 Gr. was brought. dition 11 Or, cast them into ancient authorities read chains. 16 Gr. glories. 13 Some 15 Gr. tormented. 12 Gr. Tartarus. 14 Gr. a herald. power, bring not a railing judgement against them be12 fore the Lord. But these, as creatures without reason, born 1 mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying 13 surely be destroyed, suffering wrong as the hire of wrongdoing; men that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their love-feasts while they 14 feast with you; having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing; 15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of "Beor, who loved the hire 16 of wrong-doing; but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet. 17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been 18 reserved. For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them 19 that live in error; promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of 7 whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped 20 the defilements of the world through the knowledge of 8 the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. For it were better for them 21 not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. It has 22 happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire. This is now, beloved, the 13 second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance; that ye should remember the 2 words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles: knowing this first, 3 that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the 4 promise of his 10 coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For 5 this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of 1 Gr. natural. 2 Or, to take and to destroy 3 Or, corruption ancient authorities read deceivings. 5 Gr. an adulteress. ancient authorities read Bosor. 7 Or, what 4 Many 6 Many 8 Many ancient authorities read our. 9 Gr. in the last of the days. 10 Gr. presence. old, and an earth compacted out of water and 1amidst water, by the word of God; 6 by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been 2stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men. 8 But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years 9 as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should 10 come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the 3elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein 11 shall be burned up. Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, 12 looking for and earnestly desiring the 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, according to 13 his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing 14 that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. And account that the long- 15 suffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; as also in all 16 his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye 17 therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in the grace 18 and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen. 1 Or, through 2 Or, stored with fire most ancient manuscripts read discovered. 7 Gr. unto the day of eternity. 4 The 3 Or, heavenly bodies 5 Or, hastening 6 Gr. presence. THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. 11 THAT which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning 2 the Word of life (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was 3 manifested unto us); 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 4 Jesus Christ: and these things we write, that 2our joy may be fulfilled. from all sin. If we say that 8 we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our 9 sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say 10 that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these 1 2 things write I unto you, that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate 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 4 saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him: but whoso keepeth his 5 word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby know we that we are in him: he that saith he 6 abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. Beloved, no new command-7 1 Or, word 2 Many ancient authorities read your. 3 Or, Comforter Or, Helper Gr. Paraclete. the world, the love of the ever. ment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the 8 word which ye heard. Again, a new 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 9 shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his Little children, it is the 18 brother, is in the darkness last hour: and as ye heard 10 even until now. He that that antichrist cometh, even loveth his brother abideth in now have there arisen many the light, and there is none antichrists; whereby we know occasion of stumbling in him. that it is the last hour. They 19 11 But he that hateth his bro- went out from us, but they ther is in the darkness, and were not of us; for if they walketh in the darkness, and had been of us, they would knoweth not whither he have continued with us: but goeth, because the darkness they went out, that they might hath blinded his eyes. be made manifest 2how that 12 I write unto you, my little they all are not of us. And 20 children, because your sins ye have an anointing from are forgiven you for his the Holy One, and ye know 13 name's sake. I write unto all things. I have not written 21 you, fathers, because ye know unto you because ye know him which is from the be- not the truth, but because ye ginning. I write unto you, know it, and because no lie young men, because ye have is of the truth. Who is the 22 overcome the evil one. 1I liar but he that denieth that have written unto you, little Jesus is the Christ? This is children, because ye know the antichrist, even he that 14 the Father. I have written denieth the Father and the unto you, fathers, because ye Son. Whosoever denieth the 23 know him which is from the Son, the same hath not the beginning. I have written Father: he that confesseth unto you, young men, be- the Son hath the Father also. cause ye are strong, and the As for you, let that abide in 24 word of God abideth in you, you which ye heard from the and ye have overcome the evil beginning. If that which ye 15 one. Love not the world, heard from the beginning neither the things that are in abide in you, ye also shall the world. If any man love abide in the Son, and in the 1 Or, I wrote 2 Or, that not all are of us 3 Some very ancient authorities read and ye all know. 4 Or, that |