For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God; and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of those who obey not the gospel of God?

The elders that are among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and a sharer in the glory that is to be revealed.

And when the chief shepherd shall appear, you shall receive the crown of glory that fades not away.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the strong hand of God, that he may exalt you in due season.

Being firm in the faith, resist him, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.

By Sylvanus, a faithful brother to you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

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

As his divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the acknowledgment of him who has called us by his glorious power,

through which things very great and precious favors that were promised have been given us, that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through desire:

But he who is wanting in these things is blind, and closes his eyes, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

For I know that the putting off of this my tabernacle is near at hand, even as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

But I will earnestly endeavor that you may be able, even after my decease, to have these things always in remembrance.

and we have the prophetic word better established. You do well to attend to this, as to a lamp that shines in a dark place, till the day dawn, and the morning star arise in your hearts;

knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture came from private interpretation:

But there were false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers also among you; and these will stealthily introduce ruinous sects, and deny the Lord that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction:

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and delivered them over to chains of darkness, to be kept for judgment;

for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds:

But these men, like beasts with out reason, which follow the instinct of nature, and are made to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil of things that they understand not, shall utterly perish in their own corruption,

having eyes that are full of the adulteress, and that can not cease from sin, deceiving unstable souls, having a heart exercised in covetousness, accursed children,

But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: The dog has turned again to his own vomit; and, The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.

that you may be mindful of the words formerly spoken by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior:

knowing this first, that there will come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

For they are willingly ignorant of this, that by the word of God, the heavens of old had their being as also the earth consisting of water and subsisting by water,

by which things the world that then was, having been overflowed with water, perished.

But the heavens and the earth that now are, by the same word are kept in store, reserved for fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men.

But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord does not delay concerning his promise, as some men count delay, but he is long-suffering toward us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth, and the works that are on it, shall be burned up.

Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in all holy behavior, and godliness,

Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you expect such things, earnestly strive, by being spotless and blameless, to be found by him in peace:

THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled concerning the Word of life;

(the life also was manifested, and we have seen, and do testify, and declare to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us;)

that which we have seen and heard, we declare it to you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full.

And this is the message that we heard from him, and do declare to you: that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, so that he will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, I write these things to you, that you may not sin: and yet, if any one sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

And by this we know that we do know him, if we keep his commandments.

He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

But whoever keeps his word, in him truly is the love of God perfected: by this we know that we are in him.

He that says, he abides in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness till now.

He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is in him no cause for offense.

He that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness; and he knows not whither he goes, because darkness has blinded his eyes.

I write to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, my little children, because you have known the Father.

I have written to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world and its desire passes away: but he that does the will of God, abides forever.

Little children, it is the last time; and, as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now there are many antichrists; by which we know that it is the last time.

They went out from us, but they were not of us: for, if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

Who is a liar, but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.

"Whoever denies the Son, has not the Father: he that con fesses the Son, has the Father also.

Let that, therefore, abide in you which you have heard from the beginning. If that abide in you which you have heard from the beginning, you also shall abide in the Son and in the Father.

And the anointing which you have received from him abides in you; and you have no need that any one should teach you: but, as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and is no lie, even as it has taught you, abide in it.

And now, little children, abide in him, that when he appears, we may have confidence, and may not be made ashamed by him at his coming.

If you know that he is righteous, you know that every one that works righteousness has been begotten by him.

Behold, how great love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! For this reason, the world knows us not, because it knew him not.

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

And every one that has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as He is pure.

Every one that works sin, works also transgression of law: and sin is transgression of law.

And you know that he was manifested, that he might take away our sins; and in him there is no sin.

Little children, let no one deceive you: he that works righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He that works sin is of the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning: for this purpose was the son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

By this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whoever does not work righteousness is not of God; neither is he that loves not his brother.

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren: he that loves not his brother, abides in death.

Whoever hates his brother, is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

And by this we know that we are of the truth; and we shall have our hearts at rest before him:

for if our heart condemn us, we know that God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

And this is his commandment: That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one an other, as he gave us commandment.

And he that keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, is from God:

and whatever spirit confesses not that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, is not from God: and this is the spirit of antichrist, of which you have heard that it comes, and is now already in the world.

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

We are of God: he that knows God, hears us: he that is not of God, does not hear us: by this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God: and every one that loves, has been begotten of God, and knows God.

He that loves not, does not know God; for God is love.

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

In this is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.

By this we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

And we have seen, and we do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the. world.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God.

And we have known and believed the love which God has for us. God is love; and he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him.

By this is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because, as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment: he that fears is not made perfect in love.

If any man say, I love God, and yet hate his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

And this commandment we have from him: That he that loves God, must love his brother also.

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, has been be gotten of God: and every one that loves him that begot, loves him also that is begotten of him.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

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

For whatever is begotten of God, overcomes the world; and this is the victorious principle that overcomes the world, even our faith.

Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

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

For there are three that testify, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood;

He that believes on the Son of God has the testimony in him self: he that believes not God, has made him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony which God has borne concerning his Son.