who are guarded by the omnipotence of God, through faith to obtain the salvation which is ready to appear at the last time.

Wherein ye exult, though yet for a little space, (if it must be so,) ye are in sorrow through various trials:

To whom it was revealed, that not for themselves, but for us were their ministrations employed in the things which are now declared unto you by those who have preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; on which things the angels bending forwards eagerly desire to gaze.

ye also, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, well pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired by purchase; that ye should publish abroad the excellencies of him, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

who in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but are now the objects of mercy.

For ye were as sheep wandering astray; but are now returned unto the pastor and bishop of your souls.

as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye are, if ye do well, and are not affrighted with any terror.

For the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears open to their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against those who practise wicked things.

But if ye should even suffer for righteousness, blessed are ye: be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled,

wherein they think it a strange thing, that you are not running with them into the same gulph of profligacy, spreading every scandalous report of you:

For to this end was the gospel preached to those that are dead, that they might be judged indeed in the flesh according to the will of men, but live in spirit according to the will of God.

If ye suffer reproach for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: by them indeed he is blasphemed, but by you he is glorified.

In like manner, ye who are younger persons, be in subjection to your elders: but all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed from head to foot with humility: for God sets himself in opposition to the proud, but he giveth grace to the lowly.

against whom stand fast, firm in the faith, knowing that the very same sufferings are fully endured by the brotherhood which is in the world.

By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I think, I have written to you a few words, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye are standing fast.

Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

whereby superlatively great and precious promises are freely given to us: that by these ye might become partakers of a divine nature, having fled far away from the corruption that is in the world through inordinate concupiscence.??5 And for this very purpose employing the greatest diligence, lead up in the train of your faith courage; and with courage intelligence;

For if these things are in your possession, and abounding, they will render you neither inactive nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherefore I will not be negligent continually to remind you of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the present truth.

But these men, as the naturally irrational brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil of the things of which they are ignorant, will perish by their own corruption;

who forsaking the strait road are gone out of the way, following the path of Balaam the son of Bosor who loved the wages of iniquity.

These are fountains without water, clouds driven by a hurricane; for whom the blackness of darkness for ever is reserved.

Preaching liberty to them, while they themselves are the slaves of corruption: for by whatever a man is overcome, by that also he is enslaved.

For if having escaped from the defilements of the world by the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again enveloped by them and overcome, their last deeds are worse than the first.

but the present heavens and earth by the same word are treasured up, reserved for fire at the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Wherefore, beloved, seeing ye are expecting these things, be diligent to be found of him in peace, spotless and blameless.

as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, of which some are difficult to be understood, which the uninstructed and the unstable torture, as indeed they do the rest of the scriptures unto their own destruction.

But whosoever keepeth his word, verily in him is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in him.

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him, who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

Love not the world, neither the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

My dear children, it is the last hour; and as ye have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there are many antichrists: by which we know it is the 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 departed, that they might be made manifest that they are not all of us:

These things have I written unto you concerning those who are leading you astray.

Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it is not yet evident what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; because we shall see him as he is.

By this the children of God are manifestly seen, and the children of the devil. Every one that doth not practise righteousness, is not of God, and he that loveth not his brother.

We know that we are passed out of [a state of] death into life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and in his presence have this persuasion in our hearts.

And whatsoever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things which are pleasing in his sight.

BELOVED, believe not every pretender to inspiration, but bring these spirits to the trial whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone forth into the world.

Ye are of God, my dear children, and have overcome them; because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.

They are of the world, therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them.

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of delusion.

By this is his love towards us perfected, that we might have confidence at the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.

For this is the love of God, that we should keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensome.

For they are three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these, even the three, are one.

And there are three which bear witness upon earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood, and the three are for the same one object.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the power of that wicked one.

But we know that the Son of God hath come, and hath given to us understanding, that we might know the true God; and we are in him that is true, in his Son Jesus the Messiah. HE is the true God, and the life eternal.

For many deceivers are gone out into the world, who do not confess Jesus the Messiah as come in the flesh. Such a one is a deceiver and an antichrist.

I have no greater joy than these tidings, that I hear my own children are walking in the truth.

Therefore if I come I will remember his works which he doth, with wicked words prating against us; and not content with these things, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and those who are willing he hindereth, and casteth them out of the church.

JUDE a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are sanctified in God the Father, and preserved by Jesus Christ, the called:

As Sodom and Gomorrha and the surrounding cities, in like manner with them abandoned to whoredom, and going after other flesh, are set forth an example, suffering the judicial punishment of eternal fire.

These are in your feasts of love, as sunken rocks; though joining in your banquet, they feed themselves fearlessly; clouds without water carried about by the winds; trees untimely withering, fruitless, twice dead, rooted up;

These men are murmurers, complainers at their lot in life, walking after their own corrupt passions; and their mouth utters hyperbolically pompous expressions, pretending high personal admiration, in order to make their advantage.

These are the men who separate themselves, sensual, destitute of the Spirit.

Blessed is he that readeth, and they who hear the words of this prophecy, and observe the things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be with you, and peace from him, who is, and who was, and who is coming; and from the seven spirits which are before the throne of God,

saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last; and what thou seest write in a book, and send to the churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

Write the things which thou seest, and the things which are, and the things which shall be in future after these,

the mystery of the seven stars which thou seest in my right hand, and the seven golden lamps. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamps which thou seest are the seven churches.

I know thy works, and thy travail, and thy patience, and that thou canst not bear the wicked; and hast tried those who give themselves out as apostles, yet are not, and hast found them liars;

I know thy works, and thy tribulation, and thy poverty (though thou art rich), and the calumnies of those who say they are Jews, yet are not, but are Satan's synagogue.

I know thy deeds, and thy love, and thy charity to the poor, and thy faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and that the last are more abundant than the first.

But to you I say, and to the rest that are at Thyatira, as many as do not hold this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will lay upon them no other burden.

Be vigilant and strengthen the things which remain, which are ready to die; for I have not found thy works complete before God.

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white robes, for they are worthy.

Behold, I give thee out of Satan's synagogue those who say they are Jews, yet they are not, but do lie. Lo! I will make them that they shall come and prostrate themselves at thy feet, and they shall know that I have loved thee.

And out of the throne issued forth lightnings, and thunder, and loud voices; and seven lamps of fire burned before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

And I beheld, and lo! in the midst of the throne, and of the four living beings, and in the midst of the presbyters, stood a lamb as just slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that are sent forth into all the world:

And when he had taken the book, the four living beings and the four and twenty presbyters prostrated themselves before the lamb, having each harps, and vases of gold, full of perfumes smoaking, which are the prayers of the saints.

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those who are on the sea, and all things which are therein, heard I, saying, To him who is seated on the throne, and to the lamb, be blessing, and honour, and glory, and might for ever and ever.

And one of the presbyters addressed me, saying, Who are these persons who are clothed in white robes? and from whence came they?

And I said to him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are persons who are come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

and a third part of the creatures having life, which are in the sea, died; and a third part of the ships was destroyed.

And I saw and heard one angel flying in the mid-heavens, saying with a loud voice, Wo, wo, wo, to the dwellers upon earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels, which are ready to sound.

One woe is past; and, behold, there are coming yet two woes after these.

saying to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound at the great river Euphrates.

For their powers are in their mouth, and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads, and with them they do hurt.

and he swore by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created the heaven and the things which are therein, and the earth and the things which are in it, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that time shall be no longer:

These are the two olive trees, and the two lamps which stand before the face of the God of the earth.

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's, and his Messiah's, and he shall reign for ever and ever.

And all the inhabitants who dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

These are they who have not defiled themselves with women; for they are virgins: these are they who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth: these have been redeemed among men, as first-fruits to God, and to the Lamb.

And in their mouth no guile is found; for they are blameless before the throne of God.

Here is the patience of the saints: here are they who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforward: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may have rest from their labours; but their works follow after them.

And another angel came forth from the altar, having authority over fire; and he cried with a loud voice to him who held the sharp sickle, saying, Put in thy sharp sickle, and gather the bunches of the vine of the earth; for her clusters are ripe.

And they sung the sacred ode of Moses the servant of the Lord, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, O King of saints.

Who should not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? because thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee, because thy righteous judgments are made evident.

For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

And I heard another angel from the altar saying, Yea, Lord God Almighty, true and just are thy judgments.

For they are the spirits of demons doing wonders, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole habitable globe, to gather them together unto the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

The beast which thou seest was, and is not; and shall come up out of the abyss [of hell], and shall go into perdition: and the dwellers upon earth will wonder, (whose names are not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,) when they shall see the beast which was, and is not, though he is.

Here is the mind that hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, where the woman is seated even upon them.

And these are seven kings: five have fallen, and the one exists, the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must abide but a little while.

And the ten horns which thou sawest, are ten kings, who have not yet received their kingdoms; but will receive authority as kings for one hour with the beast.