their eyes are inflam'd with adultery, and unextinguishable vice: they insnare the souls of the inconstant. their minds are practis'd in the arts of avarice: an execrable race, who have deserted the right way,

forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the'son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;

But Balaam was rebuked for his own wrongdoing by a speechless donkey, who spoke out in a man's voice and prevented the prophet from continuing his foolishness.

These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been 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 that 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 brought into bondage.

As for those who have renounc'd the pollutions of the world, by their owning Jesus Christ for their Lord and saviour, if they are prevail'd upon to be entangled therein again, their last state is worse than the first.

Know this first, that mockers will come in the last days, in their mockery, men who walk the way of their own lusts

you who expect and hasten the advent of the Day of God, which dissolves the heavens in fire and makes the stars blaze and melt!

And as he said in all his letters, which had to do with these things; in which are some hard sayings, so that, like the rest of the holy Writings, they are twisted by those who are uncertain and without knowledge, to the destruction of their souls.

But be growing in the favour and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: - unto whom be the glory, both now and unto a day that abideth.

[I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life [the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ]—

and the Life [an aspect of His being] was manifested, and we have seen [it as eyewitnesses] and testify and declare to you [the Life], the eternal Life who was [already existing] with the Father and was [actually] made visible to us [His followers]—

My dear children, I am writing you this so that you may not sin; yet if anyone ever sins, we have One who pleads our case with the Father, Jesus Christ, One who is righteous.

And He is the One who provides a "covering over" [or atonement] for our sins [See Heb. 2:17; Dan. 9:24; II Chron. 29:24], and not for ours [who are already Christians] only, but also for the sins of the people of the whole world.

He who says, I know him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this man.

But in every man who keeps his word, the love of God is made complete. By this we may be certain that we are in him:

He who claims to abide in him he also ought so to walk just as that man walked.

He who claims to be in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now.

He who loves his brother abides in the light, and no cause of stumbling is in him.

But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and he goes about in the darkness, and knows not where he goes, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know 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 evil one.

And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides into the age.

Children, it is the last hour [the end of this age]; and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming [the one who will oppose Christ and attempt to replace Him], even now many antichrists (false teachers) have appeared, which confirms our belief that it is the last hour.

They have gone out from our own number, but they did not really belong to us; for if they had, they would have stayed with us. It was to show that none of those who went out really belonged to us.

As for you who have receiv'd the unction of the holy spirit, you know the whole affair.

I have not written to you, as to people unacquainted with the truth of the gospel: but as to such who know it, and know that it cannot give rise to any imposture.

Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son.

Every man who denies the Son, also does not have the Father.

I wrote these things to you concerning those who lead you astray.

If you have knowledge that he is upright, it is clear to you that everyone who does righteousness is his offspring.

See what great love the Father has given us in naming us the children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not see who we are, because it did not see who he was.

And every man who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as that man is pure.

Everyone who is a sinner goes against the law, for sin is going against the law.

Every man abiding in him does not sin. Every man who is sinning has not seen him, nor has known him.

Little children, let no man lead you astray. He who is doing righteousness is righteous, just as that man is righteous.

He who is doing sin is of the devil, because the devil sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was made known for this, so that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Every man who has been begotten of God is not doing sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God.

By this the children of God are visible, and the children of the devil. Every man not doing righteousness is not of God, and he who is not loving his brother.

for this is the injunction which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another: not as Cain who was of the evil one, and slew his brother;

Not being of the Evil One like Cain, who put his brother to death. And why did he put him to death? Because his works were evil and his brother's works were good.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who is not loving the brother abides in death.

Anyone who has hate for his brother is a taker of life, and you may be certain that no taker of life has eternal life in him.

By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.

Now whoever has [a sufficient amount of] life's possessions and [then] observes one of his [Christian] brothers who does not have enough to get by on, but does not feel sorry for him [i.e., enough to help him out], surely a love for God does not continue to live in that person's heart.

But, if our hearts condemn us [for not demonstrating God's love for others], surely God, who is greater than our hearts [will also condemn us], because He knows all things.

And he who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, from the Spirit that he gave us.

This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now.

You are of God, my little children, and you have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

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

Beloved, we should love each other. Because love is of God, and every man who loves has been begotten of God, and knows God.

He who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

and what heightens his love, was this, that it was not we who first loved God, but it was he that first loved us, and sent his son to expiate our sins.

Everyone who says openly that Jesus is the Son of God, has God in him and is in God.

And we know, and have believed the love that God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Fear is not in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear holds punishment, and he who is afraid has not been fully perfected in love.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, cannot love God whom he hath not seen.

And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.

Every man who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten from God, and every man who loves him who begot, also loves him who has been begotten from him.

because every one who is begotten of God doth overcome the world, and this is the victory that did overcome the world -- our faith;

And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And it is the Spirit that testifies, because the Spirit is truth.

Because those who testify are three:

For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.

He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified about his Son.

He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

I wrote these things to you, those who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe in the name of the Son of God.

If any one sees his brother committing a sin that is not deadly, he shall ask, and God will give him life, for any one who is not committing a deadly sin. There is a deadly sin; concerning that I do not say that he should pray.

We know that every man who has been begotten from God does not sin, but he who was begotten from God keeps himself, and the evil does not touch him.

And we are certain that the Son of God has come, and has given us a clear vision, so that we may see him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all they that know the truth;

Because a number of false teachers have gone out into the world, who do not give witness that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. Such a one is a false teacher and Antichrist.

Anyone who goes on and does not keep to the teaching of Christ, has not God: he who keeps to the teaching has the Father and the Son.

If anyone comes to you [i.e., to your meetings] who does not bring this teaching [about Christ], you should not welcome him into your home or give him [any] greetings [i.e., suggesting approval or endorsement].

For he who speaks to him to rejoice, partakes of his evil works.

The children of your noble sister, who is of God's selection, send you their love.

The elder unto Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.

My loved one, you are doing a good work in being kind to those brothers who come from other places;

who bare witness to thy love before the church: whom thou wilt do well to set forward on their journey worthily of God:

I wrote somewhat unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

Because of this, if I come, I will remember his works that he does, prating against us with evil words. And not being satisfied in these, he himself does not even accept the brothers, and he forbids those who would, and expels them

Do not imitate what is evil, beloved, but that which is good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has never gazed on God.

Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James. To those who are in God, the Father beloved, kept for Jesus Christ, and called.

For there are certain men crept in privily, even they who were of old written of beforehand unto this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Now I want to remind you, ye having known this once, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

And the heavenly agents who did not keep their own principality, but left their own habitation, he has kept reserved in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day.

As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, the same kind of way with these who indulged in fornication, and who went rear of queer flesh, are set forth an example, undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

Nevertheless in the same way also these men who dream, indeed defile flesh, and reject lordship, and speak evil of dignities.

Yet these men blaspheme about matters of which they know nothing, while they use such things as they do understand by instinct (like the animals who have no reason) for their own destruction.

These are they who are hidden rocks in your love-feasts when they feast with you, shepherds that without fear feed themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

They are raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the mist of darkness forever.

The prophet Enoch, who was the seventh after Adam, said of these men, The Lord came with tens of thousands of his saints,

These are the men who make trouble, ever desiring change, going after evil pleasures, using high-sounding words, respecting men's position in the hope of reward.

how they used to say to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will be led only by their godless passions."

These are they who make separations, sensual, having not the Spirit.

Keep yourselves in God's love [i.e., continue to love God], as you look forward to [receiving] the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, [who will grant you] never ending life.

And on some have mercy, who are in doubt;

Now to him who is able to keep them non-stumbling, and to present before his glory, unblemished in gladness,