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The 1st
Chapter
Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to them
which have obtained like precious faith with us in the righteousness
that comes of our God and saviour Jesus Christ.
Grace with you, and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God
and of Jesus our Lord. According as his godly power has given unto
us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him that has called us by virtue and glory, by the
means whereof, are given unto us excellent and most great promises,
that by the help of them you should be partakers of the nature, in
that you fly the corruption of worldly lust.
And here unto give all diligence: in your faith minister virtue
and in virtue knowledge, and in knowledge temperance, and in
temperance patience, in patience godliness, in Godliness brotherly
kindness, in brotherly kindness love, For if these things be among
you and are plenteous, they will make you that you neither shall be
idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of the our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacks these things is blind and gropes for the way with
his hand, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore brethren, give the more diligence for to make your
calling and election sure. For if you do such things, you shall
never error. Yes and by this means an entering in shall be
ministered unto you abundantly in to the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you all ways in
remembrance of such things though that you know them your selves and
be also stablished in the present truth. Not withstanding I think it
mete as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting
you in remembrance, for as much, as I am sure how that the time is
at hand that I must put off my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus
Christ has showed me. I will enforce therefore, that on every side
you might have wherewith to stir up the remembrance of these things
after my departing.
For we followed not deceivable fables when we opened unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but with our eyes we
saw his majesty: even then verily when he received of God the father
honour and glory, and when there came such a voice to him from that
excellent glory. This is my dear beloved son, in whom I have
delight. This voice we heard when it came from heaven, being with
him in the holy mount.
We have also a right sure word of prophecy whereunto if you
take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, you do well,
until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. So that
you first know this: That, that no prophecy in the scripture has any
private interpretation. For the scripture came never by the will of
man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy ghost.
*mete (worthy) |
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The 2nd
Chapter
There were false Prophets among the people, even as there shall
be false teachers among you: which privily shall bring in damnable
sects, even denying the Lord that has bought them, and bring upon
themselves swift damnation, and many shall follow their damnable
ways, by which the way of truth shall be evil spoken of, and through
covetousness shall they with *feigned words make merchandise of you,
whose judgment is not far off, and their damnation sleeps not.
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them
down into hell, and delivered them in chains of darkness, to be kept
unto judgement: Neither spared the old world, but saved Noah the
eight preacher of righteousness, and brought in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly, and turned the cities of Zodom and Gomor into
ashes: overthrew them, damned them, and made of them an example unto
all that after should live ungodly. And just Lot vexed with the
uncleanly conversation of the wicked, delivered he. For he being
righteous and dwelling among them in seeing and hearing, vexed his
righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds. The Lord
knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and how to reserve
the unjust unto the day of judgment for to be punished: namely them
that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise
the rulers. Presumptuous are they, and stubborn and fear not to
speak evil of them that are in authority. When the angels which are
greater both in power and might, receive not of the Lord railing
judgement against them. But these as brute beasts, naturally made to
be taken and destroyed, speak evil of that they know not, and shall
perish through their own destruction, and receive the reward of
unrighteousness.
They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spots
they are and filthiness, living at pleasure, and in deceivable ways,
feasting with you: having eyes full of *advoutry and that cannot
cease to sin, beguiling unstable souls. Hearts they have exercised
with covetousness. They are cursed children, and have forsaken the
right way, and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the son
of Bosor, which loved the reward of unrighteousness: but was rebuked
of his iniquity. The tame and dumb beast, speaking with mans voice,
forbade the foolishness of the Prophet.
These are wells without water and clouds carried about of a
tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when
they have spoken the swelling words of vanity, they beguile with
wantonness through the lusts of the flesh, them that were clean
escaped: but now are wrapped in errors. They promise them liberty,
and are themselves the bond servants of corruption. For of whom
soever a man is overcome, unto the same is he in bondage. For if
they, after they have escaped from the filthiness of the world
through the knowledge of the Lord and of the saviour Jesus Christ,
they are yet tangled again therein and overcome: then is the latter
end worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for
them, not to have known the way of righteousness than after they
have known it, to turn from the holy commandment given unto them. It
is happened unto them according to the true proverb: The dog is
turned to his vomit again, and the sow that was washed, to her
wallowing in the mire.
*feigned (made up, beguiling) *advoutry: prefix "a" meaning not or
without, devout: devotion; plain hearted to God, being devoted to
something or some one else. see James 2 for adultery.
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The 3rd
Chapter
This is the second epistle that I now write unto you, beloved,
wherewith I stir up, and warn your pure minds, to call to
remembrance the words which were told before of the holy Prophets,
and also the commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and saviour.
This first understand that there shall come in the last days
mockers, which will walk after their own lusts and say, Where is the
promise of his coming? For since the fathers died, all things
continue in the same estate wherein they were at the beginning. This
they know not (and that willingly) how that the heavens a great
while ago were, and the earth that was in the water, appeared up out
of the water, by the word of God: by the which things the world that
then was, perished, overflowen with the water. But the heavens
verily and earth which are now, are kept by the same word in store,
and reserved unto fire, against the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men.
Dearly beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, how that one
day is with the Lord, as a thousand year, and a thousand year as one
day. The Lord is not slack to fulfil his promise, as some men count
slackness: but is patient to us ward, and would have no man lost,
but would receive all men to repentance.
Nevertheless the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the
night, in the which day, the heavens shall perish with terrible
noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the
works that are therein shall burn.
If all these things shall perish, what manner persons ought you
to be in holy conversation and godliness: looking for and hasting
unto the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens shall perish
with fire, and the elements shall be consumed with heat.
Nevertheless we look for a new heaven and a new earth, according to
his promise, wherein dwells righteousness.
Wherefore dearly beloved, seeing that you look for such things,
be diligent that you may be found of him in peace, without spot and
undefiled. And suppose that the long suffering of the Lord is
salvation, even as our dearly beloved brother Paul, according to the
wisdom given unto him, wrote to you, yes, almost in every epistle
speaking of such things: among which are many things hard to be
understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, pervert, as
they do other scriptures unto their own destruction. you therefore
beloved, seeing you know it beforehand, beware least you be also
plucked away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your own
steadfastness: but grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord
and saviour Jesus Christ. To whom be glory both now and for ever.
Amen.
Here ends the second
epistle of saint Peter |
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