And we ask you, brethren, to know those labouring among you, and leading you in the Lord, and admonishing you,

We ought to give thanks to God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because increase greatly doth your faith, and abound doth the love of each one of you all, to one another;

And we ask you, brethren, in regard to the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together unto him,

that ye be not quickly shaken in mind, nor be troubled, neither through spirit, neither through word, neither through letters as through us, as that the day of Christ hath arrived;

who is opposing and is raising himself up above all called God or worshipped, so that he in the sanctuary of God as God hath sat down, shewing himself off that he is God -- the day doth not come.

As to the rest, pray ye, brethren, concerning us, that the word of the Lord may run and may be glorified, as also with you,

and as an enemy count him not, but admonish ye him as a brother;

according as I did exhort thee to remain in Ephesus -- I going on to Macedonia -- that thou mightest charge certain not to teach any other thing,

An aged person thou mayest not rebuke, but be entreating as a father; younger persons as brethren;

aged women as mothers, younger ones as sisters -- in all purity;

As many as are servants under a yoke, their own masters worthy of all honour let them reckon, that the name of God and the teaching may not be evil spoken of;

thou, therefore, suffer evil as a good soldier of Jesus Christ;

no one serving as a soldier did entangle himself with the affairs of life, that him who did enlist him he may please;

in which I suffer evil -- unto bonds, as an evil-doer, but the word of God hath not been bound;

and their word as a gangrene will have pasture, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus,

and, even as Jannes and Jambres stood against Moses, so also these do stand against the truth, men corrupted in mind, disapproved concerning the faith;

but they shall not advance any further, for their folly shall be manifest to all, as theirs also did become.

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that the things lacking thou mayest arrange, and mayest set down in every city elders, as I did appoint to thee;

for it behoveth the overseer to be blameless, as God's steward, not self-pleased, nor irascible, not given to wine, not a striker, not given to filthy lucre;

aged women, in like manner, in deportment as doth become sacred persons, not false accusers, to much wine not enslaved, of good things teachers,

because of the love I rather entreat, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ;

and apart from thy mind I willed to do nothing, that as of necessity thy good deed may not be, but of willingness,

no more as a servant, but above a servant -- a brother beloved, especially to me, and how much more to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord!

If, then, with me thou hast fellowship, receive him as me,

having become so much better than the messengers, as he did inherit a more excellent name than they.

these shall perish, and Thou dost remain, and all, as a garment, shall become old,

and as a mantle Thou shall roll them together, and they shall be changed, and Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.'

being stedfast to Him who did appoint him, as also Moses in all his house,

for of more glory than Moses hath this one been counted worthy, inasmuch as more honour than the house hath he who doth build it,

and Moses indeed was stedfast in all his house, as an attendant, for a testimony of those things that were to be spoken,

and Christ, as a Son over his house, whose house are we, if the boldness and the rejoicing of the hope unto the end we hold fast.

Wherefore, (as the Holy Spirit saith, 'To-day, if His voice ye may hear --

ye may not harden your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of the temptation in the wilderness,

in its being said, 'To-day, if His voice ye may hear, ye may not harden your hearts, as in the provocation,'

for we also are having good news proclaimed, even as they, but the word heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard,

for we do enter into the rest -- we who did believe, as He said, 'So I sware in My anger, If they shall enter into My rest -- ;' and yet the works were done from the foundation of the world,

again He doth limit a certain day, 'To-day,' (in David saying, after so long a time,) as it hath been said, 'To-day, if His voice ye may hear, ye may not harden your hearts,'

for he who did enter into his rest, he also rested from his works, as God from His own.

and because of this infirmity he ought, as for the people, so also for himself to offer for sins;

and no one to himself doth take the honour, but he who is called by God, as also Aaron:

as also in another place He saith, 'Thou art a priest -- to the age, according to the order of Melchisedek;'

which we have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and entering into that within the vail,

And inasmuch as it is not apart from oath, (for those indeed apart from oath are become priests,

who hath no necessity daily, as the chief priests, first for his own sins to offer up sacrifice, then for those of the people; for this he did once, having offered up himself;

who unto an example and shadow do serve of the heavenly things, as Moses hath been divinely warned, being about to construct the tabernacle, for 'See (saith He) thou mayest make all things according to the pattern that was shewn to thee in the mount;') --

nor that he may many times offer himself, even as the chief priest doth enter into the holy places every year with blood of others;

and as it is laid up to men once to die, and after this -- judgment,

as to the rest, expecting till He may place his enemies as his footstool,

not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as a custom of certain is, but exhorting, and so much the more as ye see the day coming nigh.

by faith he did sojourn in the land of the promise as a strange country, in tabernacles having dwelt with Isaac and Jacob, fellow-heirs of the same promise,

wherefore, also from one were begotten -- and that of one who had become dead -- as the stars of the heaven in multitude, and as sand that is by the sea-shore -- the innumerable.

by faith he left Egypt behind, not having been afraid of the wrath of the king, for, as seeing the Invisible One -- he endured;

By faith they did pass through the Red Sea as through dry land, which the Egyptians having received a trial of, were swallowed up;

and ye have forgotten the exhortation that doth speak fully with you as with sons, 'My son, be not despising chastening of the Lord, nor be faint, being reproved by Him,

if chastening ye endure, as to sons God beareth Himself to you, for who is a son whom a father doth not chasten?

lest any one be a fornicator, or a profane person, as Esau, who in exchange for one morsel of food did sell his birthright,

and this -- 'Yet once' -- doth make evident the removal of the things shaken, as of things having been made, that the things not shaken may remain;

be mindful of those in bonds, as having been bound with them, of those maltreated, as also yourselves being in the body;

Be obedient to those leading you, and be subject, for these do watch for your souls, as about to give account, that with joy they may do this, and not sighing, for this is unprofitable to you.

and if any of you do lack wisdom, let him ask from God, who is giving to all liberally, and not reproaching, and it shall be given to him;

and let him ask in faith, nothing doubting, for he who is doubting hath been like a wave of the sea, driven by wind and tossed,

and the rich in his becoming low, because as a flower of grass he shall pass away;

If, indeed, royal law ye complete, according to the Writing, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,' -- ye do well;

and if ye accept persons, sin ye do work, being convicted by the law as transgressors;

so speak ye and so do, as about by a law of liberty to be judged,

for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also the faith apart from the works is dead.

Whence are wars and fightings among you? not thence -- out of your passions, that are as soldiers in your members?

ye ask, and ye receive not, because evilly ye ask, that in your pleasures ye may spend it.

your gold and silver have rotted, and the rust of them for a testimony shall be to you, and shall eat your flesh as fire. Ye made treasure in the last days!

ye did live in luxury upon the earth, and were wanton; ye did nourish your hearts, as in a day of slaughter;

Elijah was a man like affected as we, and with prayer he did pray -- not to rain, and it did not rain upon the land three years and six months;

as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves to the former desires in your ignorance,

but according as He who did call you is holy, ye also, become holy in all behaviour,

but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and unspotted -- Christ's --

because all flesh is as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away,

as new-born babes the word's pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow,

and ye yourselves, as living stones, are built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Beloved, I call upon you, as strangers and sojourners, to keep from the fleshly desires, that war against the soul,

having your behaviour among the nations right, that in that which they speak against you as evil-doers, of the good works having beheld, they may glorify God in a day of inspection.

Be subject, then, to every human creation, because of the Lord, whether to a king, as the highest,

whether to governors, as to those sent through him, for punishment, indeed, of evil-doers, and a praise of those doing good;

as free, and not having the freedom as the cloak of the evil, but as servants of God;

for ye were as sheep going astray, but ye turned back now to the shepherd and overseer of your souls.

as Sarah was obedient to Abraham, calling him 'sir,' of whom ye did become daughters, doing good, and not fearing any terror.

The husbands, in like manner, dwelling with them, according to knowledge, as to a weaker vessel -- to the wife -- imparting honour, as also being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

And finally, being all of one mind, having fellow-feeling, loving as brethren, compassionate, courteous,

having a good conscience, that in that in which they speak against you as evil-doers, they may be ashamed who are traducing your good behaviour in Christ;

each, according as he received a gift, to one another ministering it, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;

if any one doth speak -- 'as oracles of God;' if any one doth minister -- 'as of the ability which God doth supply;' that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the power -- to the ages of the ages. Amen.

Beloved, think it not strange at the fiery suffering among you that is coming to try you, as if a strange thing were happening to you,

but, according as ye have fellowship with the sufferings of the Christ, rejoice ye, that also in the revelation of his glory ye may rejoice -- exulting;

for let none of you suffer as a murderer, or thief, or evil-doer, or as an inspector into other men's matters;

and if as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; and let him glorify God in this respect;

so that also those suffering according to the will of god, as to a stedfast Creator, let them commit their own souls in good doing.

neither as exercising lordship over the heritages, but patterns becoming of the flock,

Be sober, vigilant, because your opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, doth walk about, seeking whom he may swallow up,

Through Silvanus, to you the faithful brother, as I reckon, through few words I did write, exhorting and testifying this to be the true grace of God in which ye have stood.

As all things to us His divine power (the things pertaining unto life and piety) hath given, through the acknowledgement of him who did call us through glory and worthiness,

and I think right, so long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up in reminding you,

having known that soon is the laying aside of my tabernacle, even as also our Lord Jesus Christ did shew to me,