Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example 7 unto those that should live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life 8 of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, 'vexed his right- 1 Gr. tormented. eous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds): 9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under pun10 ishment unto the day of judgement; but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, selfwilled, they 11 tremble not to rail at dignities: whereas angels, 2 Gr. glories. though greater in might and power, bring not a rail12 ing judgement against them before the Lord. But destroy 6 Many ancient authorities read Gr. an adulter deceivings. ess. authorities read Bosor. these, as creatures without reason, born 3mere ani- 3 Gr. natural. mals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters 4 Or, to take and to whereof they are ignorant, shall in their 'destroying 5 Or, corruption. 13 surely be destroyed, suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; men that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their 14 love-feasts* while they feast with you; having eyes full of 'adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; 7 enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised 15 in covetousness; children of cursing; forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the 8 Many ancient 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 17 and stayed the madness of the prophet. These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been re18 served. For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that 19 live in error; promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also 9 Or, what 20 brought into bondage. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, authorities read they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn *For "love-feasts" read "deceivings", and in marg. 6 read Some ancient authorities read love-feasts.—Am. Com. 10 Many our. ancient back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. It has happened unto them according to the 22 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 second epistle that I write 3 unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance; that ye should 2 remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles: knowing 3 1 Gr. in the last of this first, that in the last days mockers shall come the days. 2 Gr. presence. with mockery, walking after their own lusts, and 4 saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they wilfully forget, that there 5 were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and 3amidst water, by the word of God; by which means the world that then was, being over- 6 flowed with water, perished: but the heavens that 7 now are, and the earth, by the same word have been 40r, stored with fire stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men. 3 Or, through ies But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one 8 day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack 9 concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a 10 thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with 5 Or, heavenly bod- a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that manuscripts read are therein shall be "burned up. Seeing that these 11 things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the com- 12 ing 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 13 to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 6 The most ancient discovered. 7 Or, hastening Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these 14 things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. And ac- 15 count that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, ac cording to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto 16 you; as also in all 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 17 destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own 18 stedfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Amen. him be the glory both now and 'for ever. 1 Gr. unto the day of eternity. 1 Or, word THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. THAT which was from the beginning, that which 1 we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled, concerning the 'Word of life (and the life was mani- 2 fested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare unto you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us); that 3 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 Christ: and these things we write, that 4 authorities read our joy may be fulfilled. 2 Many your. ancient 3 Or, Comforter Or, Helper Gr. Paraclele. And this is the message which we have heard 5 from him, and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we 6 have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the 7 light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, 8 we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If 9 we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, 10 we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, 2 that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins; 2 and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. And hereby know we that we know him, if we keep 3 his commandments. He that saith, I know him, 4 and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and 5 the truth is not in him: but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. 6 Hereby know we that we are in him: he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked. 7 Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which 8 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 al9 ready shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and 11 there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he 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. 12 I write unto you, my little children, because your 13 sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him which is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have 1 Or, I wrote written unto you, little children, because ye know 14 the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him which is from the beginning. 'I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, 15 and ye have overcome the evil one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is 16 not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 18 Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the 19 last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest 'how that they all are not of 2 Or, that not all are 20 us. And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, 21 and ye know all things. I have not written unto cient authorities you because ye know not the truth, but because ye. read and ye all 22 know it, and because no lie is of the truth. of us 3 Some very an Who is 4 Or, that the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? |