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hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil-speakings, as newborn babes, seek ye the sincere milk of the word, that thereby ye may grow unto salvation; if ye have tasted 3 that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but by God chosen, valuable, ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, well pleasing to God through Jesus Christ. For it is 6 contained in the scripture; Behold, I lay in Sion a top corner-stone, chosen, valuable; and he that believeth on it shall not be ashamed. Unto you then who believe is the value, but to the unbelievers, the stone that the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; they stumble, obeying not the word whereunto they were appointed. But ye are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a purpose, that ye may show forth the goodness of Him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; who once were not a people, but 10 now are God's people; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

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Beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, to 11 abstain from fleshly lusts, that war against the soul; hav- 12 ing your behaviour among the Gentiles honest; so that in whatever they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, by your good works that they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. Submit yourselves therefore to 18 every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether to the king, as supreme, or to governors, as sent by him for 14 the punishment of evil-doers and the praise of well-doers, (for so is the will of God, that the well-doers may silence 15 the ignorance of foolish men,) as free, not using freedom 16 for a cloak to malice, but as servants of God. Honour all 17 men; love the brotherhood; fear God; honour the king. Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not 18 only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For this is thankworthy, if under a consciousness of God 19 a man endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory 20 is it, if when in fault and buffeted ye be patient? But if, when ye do well and suffer, ye be patient, this is thankworthy with God. For hereunto were ye called; because 21 Christ also suffered for you, leaving to you an example

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22 that ye should follow his steps; who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but 24 gave himself up to Him who judgeth righteously; who his own self bare our sins in his own body to the tree, that we, being removed from sins, should live to righteous25 ness; by whose scars ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray, but are now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

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In like wise ye wives, be subject to your husbands; so that if any obey not the word, they may without a word be won by the behaviour of their wives, beholding your be3 haviour chaste with fear. Their's should not be the outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and binding on of gold, or putting on of apparel; but the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptibleness of a meek and quiet 5 spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God. For thus of old, the holy women also, who trusted in God, • adorned themselves, being subject to their husbands; as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; and her children ye are while ye do well and fear no fear. like wise ye husbands, dwell according to knowledge with the womanly as the weaker vessel, dividing the honour, as being also joint partakers of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

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Lastly, be ye all of one mind, compassionate, loving as 9 brethren, pitying, humble, not returning evil for evil, or railing for railing; but contrariwise blessing, knowing that thereunto ye were called; so that ye may inherit a 10 blessing. For he that would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips that they 11 speak no guile. Let him turn from evil, and do good; let 12 him seek peace, and follow after it. For the eyes of the

Lord are on the righteous, and his ears with their prayer; 13 but the face of the Lord is against evil-doers. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be imitators of what is 14 good? Yea, if ye even suffer for righteousness, happy are ye. And fear not with their fear, neither be troubled; 15 but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always with an answer to every man that asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and 16 fear; having a good conscience; so that in whatever they

should speak against you as evil-doers, they may be ashamed when reproaching your good behaviour in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God will it, that ye suffer 17 for well-doing than for evil-doing. For Christ also once 18 suffered for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous; that he might bring us to God, he was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; by which also he went 19 and preached to the spirits in prison, who once were dis- 20 obedient, when the patience of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. And baptism 21 the copy of this now saveth us, (not the putting away dirt from the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ; who 22 is on the right hand of God, gone to heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him.

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Since then Christ suffered for us in flesh, arm your- 1 selves also with the same mind, (for he that hath suffered in flesh hath ceased from sin,) so as no longer to live the remaining time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. For the time past of life is enough for us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, drunkenness, revellings, drinkings, and wicked idolatries; wherein they think it strange, speaking ill of you who run not to the same excess of riot; who will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For thereto. were the Good Tidings preached even to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but might live according to God in the spirit.

And the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all have a fervent love among yourselves; for love will cover a multitude of sins. Be hospitable one to another without 9 murmurs; as each hath received a gift, minister the same 10 one to another, as good stewards of the manifold kindness of God. If any man speak, let it be as the oracles of u God; if any man minister, let it be as of the ability which God giveth; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ;-to whom is the glory and dominion for ages of ages; amen.

Beloved, think it not strange of the fire which is u

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among you as a trial to you, as though some strange 13 thing were happening to you. But, as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; so that also at the revealing 14 of his glory ye may rejoice joyfully. If ye be reproached in the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth on you; on their part he is evil 15 spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evil-doer, or as a 16 spy. But if he suffer as a Christian, let him not be 17 ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that the judgment must begin with the house of God; and if it begin with us, what will the end be of 18 them that obey not the Good Tidings of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where will the ungodly and 19 the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to him in well-doing as to a faithful creator.

1 The elders that are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow-elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings, and a 2 partaker of the glory that is about to be revealed; tend the flock of God which is among you, overseeing not by constraint, but willingly; not for base gain, but readily; 3 not as being lords of the heritage, but being patterns to 4 the flock; and when the chief shepherd appeareth, ye 5 will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, ye younger, submit to the elders. Yea, all of you submit one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of 7 God, that he may exalt you in due time; casting all your cares upon him, for he careth for you. Be sober, be watchful; your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh 9 about, seeking whom he may devour; him resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished on your brotherhood in the world. 10 And may the God of all grace, who hath called us to his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered a while, himself make you perfect, establish, strengthen, 11 settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ages of

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ages; amen.

By Silvanus, a faithful brother to you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and witnessing, that

this is the true grace of God, wherein ye stand. The 13 chosen church at Babylon greeteth you; so doth Mark Greet one another with a kiss of love. you all that are in Christ Jesus.

my son.

be with

The Second Epistle of PETER.

Peace 14

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SIMON Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, 1 to them that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and of our saviour Jesus Christ; grace and peace be multiplied unto you in the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. As his divine power hath given unto us all things that belong to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue; by which were given to us the very great and precious promises, that by these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust; and for this very cause giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you to be neither idle nor unfruitful towards the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he that lacketh these things is blind, short-sighted, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, endeavour to make your 10 calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye will never fall. For so will be given to you abundantly the 11 entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

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Therefore I will not neglect to remind you always of 12 these things, though ye know and be established in the present truth. And I think it right, as long as I am in 13 this tabernacle, to stir you up by reminding; knowing 14 that I must shortly put off this tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. And I will endeavour 15 that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we followed not clever 16 fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-wit