For they disciplined [us] for a few days according to what seemed [appropriate] to them, but he [does so] for our benefit, in order that [we] can have a share in his holiness.

make straight paths for your feet," so that crippled limbs will not remain [permanently] disabled, but rather will be healed. [Note: The idea here is "remove all barriers to spiritual growth so you can live a faithful life"].

Continue to live in peace with everybody and strive for that consecration without which no one can see the Lord.

For you have not come to a blazing fire that can be touched, to gloom and darkness, storm

See to it that you do not refuse to listen to Him who is speaking to you. For if they did not escape, because they refused to listen to him who warned them here on earth, how much less can we, if we reject Him who is from heaven?

but now His promise is, "Once more I will make not only the earth but heaven itself tremble." Now that expression, "Once more," signifies the final removal of the things that can be shaken, to let remain the things that cannot be shaken.

Wherefore receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, may we hold fast the grace, by which we can offer to God acceptably divine service, with reverence and pious awe:

So we can confidently say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can men do to me?"

Obey your leaders and submit [to them], for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not [with] groaning, for this [would be] unprofitable for you.

And I urge you people earnestly to do this [i.e., pray for me], so that I can be sent back to you sooner [i.e., by God's providence].

happy is he that can stand the tryal: for when he has undergone the test, he shall receive that crown of life which the Lord has promised to those that love him.

Let no man under temptation, say, it is God that tempts him; for as he is incapable of moral evil, he can't influence any one thereto.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning.

Therefore, rid yourselves of everything impure and every expression of wickedness, and with a gentle spirit welcome the word planted in you that can save your souls.

Now if you people show special attention to the one wearing the fine clothing and say [to him], "You can sit here in this good seat," and to the poor person, "You stand over there," or "Sit on the floor by my feet,"

What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but have not works? can that faith save him?

Can that faith save him? If a brother or a sister be naked,

But someone may say, “You [claim to] have faith and I have [good] works; show me your [alleged] faith without the works [if you can], and I will show you my faith by my works [that is, by what I do].”

For we all make many a slip. If anyone never slips in speech, he is a man of maturity; he can control his whole body too.

If we put bridles into horses' mouths to make them obey us, we can guide their whole bodies, too.

Look, even though ships are huge and are driven by strong winds, still their direction can be governed by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires to sail.

So the tongue, too, is a little organ but can boast of great achievements. See how a spark, ever so tiny, can set a vast forest on fire!

the tongue is a brand that sets the world in a combustion: it is but one of the numerous organs of the body, yet it can blast whole assemblies: tipp'd with infernal sulphur it sets the whole train of life in a blaze.

For every kind of beasts and birds, of reptiles and sea animals, can be, or have been, tamed by man;

But the tongue can no man tame; it is a restless evil, it is full of deadly poison.

A fountain cannot pour from the same opening fresh and brackish water, can it?

Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? Neither can'salt water yield sweet.

but if envy and contention imbitter your minds, don't think your false pretences can stand against the truth:

You lust, and don't have. You kill, covet, and can't obtain. You fight and make war. You don't have, because you don't ask.

[When] you do ask, you do not receive it, because you ask from wrong motives, [just] so you can satisfy your own pleasures.

There is one lawgiver, who can save or destroy: who art thou that judgest another man?

So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be cured. An upright man can do a great deal by prayer when he tries.

in the enjoyment of a state, that can never change or decay, a state reserv'd in heaven for us,

Through God's power you are protected by [your] faith, so that you can expect to be saved in the end.

Because of this you can be very joyous, even though it is necessary for you to have suffered many trials for a little while.

You have experienced new birth, not from seed that can decay, but from seed that cannot decay, through the living and enduring word of God.

Because it runs thus in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious: and the one believing on him can not be ashamed.

What credit can you claim when, after doing wrong, you take your punishment for it patiently? But, on the other hand, if, after doing right, you take your sufferings patiently, that does win the approval of God.

not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing.

for who can hurt you, if you strive to excel in virtue.

so that he no longer can spend the rest of his earthly life in harmony with human desires but in accordance with God's will.

Because everything will soon come to an end, be sensible and clear-headed, so you can pray.

Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.

Therefore, brethren, be the more diligent to make your calling and election sure: for doing these things you can never fall.

You must understand this in the first place, that no prophecy in Scripture can be understood through one's own powers,

having eyes full of adultery, and who can't cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;

so that you can remember the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles.

What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus, the Messiah.

But, if we live in the light [of righteousness] just like God [constantly] lives in the light [of righteousness], we can truly share a relationship with one another and [can know that] the blood of Jesus, God's Son, continues to cleanse [our spirits] from all of our sins.

If we acknowledge our sins, he is upright and can be depended on to forgive our sins and cleanse us from everything wrong.

My children, I am writing to you to keep you from sinning; but if any one should sin, we have one who can plead for us with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous--

By this we can be sure that we know Him -- if we practice obedience to His commands.

but whoever practices obedience to His message really has a perfect love of God in his heart. By this we can be sure that we are in union with Him:

Do not love the world or what the world can offer. When any one loves the world, there is no love for the Father in him;

for all that the world can offer--the gratification of the earthly nature, the gratification of the eye, the pretentious life--belongs, not to the Father, but to the world.

I do not write to you because you do not know it, but because you do know it, and because no lie can come from the truth.

No one who disowns the Son can have the Father. Whoever owns the Son has the Father too.

Whoever has been begotten by God, does not work sin; because his seed abides in him; and he can not sin, because he has been begotten by God.

Here is how the children of God and the children of the devil can be recognized: All those who do not continue to do what is right do not belong to God. Also, the person who does not continue to love his brother [or sister does not belong to God].

[For] we [can] know that we have passed out of [the realm of spiritual] death and into [spiritual] life, because we [show] love for the brothers [and sisters]. The person who does not love [them] continues to be [spiritually] dead.

Anyone who keeps on hating his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer can have eternal life remaining in him.

Here is how we can know what genuine love really is: It was [demonstrated by] Jesus laying down His life [on the cross] for us. And [because of that] we [too] should [be willing to] lay down our lives for [the sake of helping] our brothers [and sisters].

But if anyone has the world's means of supporting life and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how can love to God remain in him?

By this we will know [without any doubt] that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart and quiet our conscience before Him

Loved ones, if our hearts do not condemn us [i.e., because we are showing love by helping the needy], we can have boldness before God [in prayer for our own needs];

and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands and do what is pleasing in His sight.

The person who keeps his commandments abides in God, and God abides in him. This is how we can be sure that he remains in us: he has given us his Spirit.

In this way you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spiritual utterance which owns that Jesus Christ has come in human form comes from God,

and no spiritual utterance which disowns Jesus can come from God; it is the utterance of Antichrist. You have heard that it is coming, and right now it is already in the world.

We [who preach the true Gospel] represent God; the person who knows God listens to our message; the one who does not belong to God does not listen to us. This is how we can know [the difference between those speaking by] the Holy Spirit of truth and [those speaking by] the spirit of [Satan's] error.

By the fact that He has given us a portion of His Spirit we can be sure that we remain in union with Him and He in union with us.

We have seen and can testify that the Father has sent the Son to be Savior of the world.

If any man says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

This is how we can be sure that we love the children of God, by continuing to love God and to obey His commands.

For whoever [Note: The Greek says "whatever"] is [spiritually] conceived [and eventually born] by God will overcome [the evil influence of] the world. And this is [how] that victory can be gained over the world: [It is through] our faith [in God].

And who is the person who can overcome [the evil influence of] the world? [It is] the one who [truly] believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

I have written these things to you people, who believe in the name [i.e., in the person and work] of the Son of God, so that you can have assurance that you have [the hope of] never ending life. [See Titus 1:2; 3:7; Mark 10:30].

And this is [how we can express] boldness in our relationship with God: Whatever we ask [of God, in prayer], so long as it is in harmony with His will for us, [we know] He hears our request.

And if we can be sure that He hears our request for whatever we ask [of Him], we can [also] be certain that we [will] have whatever we have requested from Him.

And [in addition], we know that the Son of God has come [in a physical body, See 4:2] and has given us understanding, so that we can know the True One [i.e., God], and that we are in [fellowship with] the True One, even His Son Jesus Christ. This Son is the true God and eternal life.

Dearly beloved, you are acting faithfully in doing what you can for the brothers, especially as they are strangers.

Therefore, we ought to support such men so that we can be coworkers with the truth.

Demetrius has received a good report from everyone, including the truth itself. We, too, can testify to this report, and you know that our testimony is true.

because I hope to see you soon, and [then] we can speak face to face. {\i 3Jo 1:15} (\i May there be peace in your lives. Our friends [here] send you their greetings. [I ask that you also] greet each of our friends [there] by name.}

For these are murmurers, always complaining. They always go where their passions lead, and their mouth speaks great swelling words, while they pay court to men for the sake of the advantage they can get.

I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you can not bear them who are evil: and you have tried them who say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars:

Let everyone who can hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will permit him who is victorious to eat the fruit of the tree of life that stands in the Paradise of God.'

Let everyone who can hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. He who is victorious will not be hurt by the second death.'

The one who has an ear had better hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give him some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on that stone will be written a new name that no one can understand except the one who receives it.'

Let everyone who can hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'

Let everyone who can hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.'

"To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write: 'The Holy and True One, who carries the keys of David, who opens and no one can shut, who shuts and no one can open, speaks as follows:

I know your works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my sayings: and hast not denied my name.

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one can take away your crown.

He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.’

[Because of that], I advise you to buy from me gold, refined by fire, so that you will become rich; and white clothing to wear, so that you can cover yourself and not be seen as shamefully naked; and eye drops for your eyes, so that you can see. [Note: The foregoing all refer to taking measures for becoming more spiritual].

Let everyone who can hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.' "

After these things I looked, and there was a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said: "Come up here so that I can show you what must happen after these things."

But one of the Elders said to me. "Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, and so can open the book with its seven seals."