because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone staring at {his own face} in a mirror,

But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues [to do it], not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed {in what he does}.

If anyone thinks he is religious, [although he] does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion [is] worthless.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep oneself unstained by the world.

This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but [is] earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

From where [are] conflicts and from where [are] quarrels among you? [Is it] not from this, from your pleasures that wage war among your members?

Instead you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace meant for you sought and made careful inquiry,

but the word of the Lord endures {forever}." And this is the word that has been proclaimed to you.

Therefore the honor [is] for you who believe, but for those who refuse to believe, "The stone that the builders rejected, this one has become {the cornerstone},"

For this [finds] favor, if because of consciousness of God someone endures sorrows [while] suffering unjustly.

For what credit [is it] if, [when you] sin and are beaten [for it], you endure? But if you endure [when you] do good and suffer [for it], this [finds] favor with God.

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps,

not repaying evil for evil or insult for insult, but on the other hand blessing [others], because for this [reason] you were called, so that you could inherit a blessing.

And also, corresponding to [this], baptism now saves you, not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Because for this reason also the gospel was preached to those who are dead, so that they were judged {by human standards} in the flesh, but they may live in the spirit {by God's standards}.

But if [someone suffers] as a Christian, he must not be ashamed, but must glorify God with this name.

Through Silvanus, the faithful brother (as I consider [him]), I have written to you {briefly} to encourage [you] and to attest that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.

and [for] this same [reason], and [by] applying all diligence, supply with your faith excellence of character, and with excellence of character, knowledge,

For [if] these [things] are yours and are increasing, this does not make [you] useless or unproductive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For in this way entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied for you.

But I consider [it] right, for as long as I am in this habitation, to stir you up by a reminder,

For [he] received honor and glory from God the Father [when] a voice such as this was brought to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

And [we] ourselves heard this voice brought from heaven [when we] were with him on the holy mountain,

recognizing this above all, that every prophecy of scripture does not come about from one's own interpretation,

promising them freedom [although they] themselves are slaves of depravity. For to whatever someone succumbs, by this he is also enslaved.

Dear friends, this [is] already the second letter I am writing to you, in [both of] which I am attempting to stir up your sincere mind by a reminder,

above all knowing this, that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, following according to their own desires

For [when] they maintain this, it escapes [their] notice that the heavens existed long ago and the earth held together out of water and through water by the word of God,

Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your [notice], that one day with the Lord [is] like a thousand years, and a thousand years [is] like one day.

[Because] all these things are being destroyed in this way, what sort of [people] must you be in holy behavior and godliness,

Therefore, dear friends, [because you] know [this] beforehand, guard yourselves so that you do not lose your own safe position [because you] have been led away by the error of lawless persons.

And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light and there [is] no darkness in him at all.

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

The one who says "I have come to know him," and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in this person.

But whoever keeps his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him.

Who is the liar except the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This person is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

And this is the promise which he himself promised us: eternal life.

See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called children of God, and we are! Because of this the world does not know us: because it did not know him.

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

The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this [reason] the Son of God was revealed: in order to destroy the works of the devil.

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are evident: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, namely, the one who does not love his brother.

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

We have come to know love by this: that {he} laid down his life on behalf of us, and we ought to lay down our lives on behalf of the brothers.

By this we know that we are of the truth and will convince our heart before him,

And this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as {he commanded us}.

And the one who keeps his commandments resides in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he resides in us: by the Spirit whom he has given to us.

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

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

We are from God. The one who knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God sent his one and only Son into the world in order that we may live through him.

In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son [to be the] propitiation for our sins.

Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.

By this we know that we reside in him and he in us: that he has given us of his Spirit.

By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as that one is, [so] also are we in this world.

And this [is] the commandment we have from him: that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever 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,

This is the one who came by water and blood--Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son.

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

And this is the confidence that we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, in order that we may know the one who is true, and we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life.

And this is love: that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.

For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in [the] flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist!

Everyone who goes too far and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in the teaching--this person has both the Father and the Son.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into [your] house and do not speak a greeting to him,

I have no greater joy than this: that I hear my children are walking in the truth.

For certain men have slipped in stealthily, who were designated long ago for this condemnation, ungodly ones, who change the grace of our God into licentiousness and who deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: "This is what the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand says, the one who walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands:

But I have [this] against you: that you have left your first love.

But you do have this: that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, [things] which I also hate.

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: "This is what the first and the last says, who was dead and came to life:

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: "This is what the one who has the sharp double-edged sword says:

"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: "This is what the Son of God says, the one who has his eyes like a fiery flame and his feet like fine bronze:

But I say to you, to the rest [who are] in Thyatira, all those who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep [things] of Satan, as they say, I do not put upon you any other burden.

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: "This is what the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars says: 'I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, and you are dead.

The one who conquers in this way will be dressed in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, and I will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: "This is what the holy one, the true one, the one who has the key of David, the one who opens and no one can shut, and who shuts and no one can open, says:

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "This is what the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God's creation, says:

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind could blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.

Because of this, they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne {will shelter} them.

And in this way I saw the horses in the vision, and those seated on them, who had fiery [red] and hyacinth-colored and sulphurous [yellow] breastplates, and the heads of the horses [were] like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire and smoke and sulphur.

And if anyone wants to harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and consumes their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, in this way he must be killed.

Because of this, rejoice, you heavens, and those who live in them! Woe [to] the earth and [to] the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great anger, [because he] knows that he has little time!"

And there were lightnings and sounds and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, as has not happened from the [time] humanity has been on the earth--so great in this way [was] the earthquake.

Because of this her plagues will come in one day-- death and mourning and famine-- and she will be burned up with fire, because the Lord God who passes judgment on her [is] powerful!"

And one powerful angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw [it] into the sea, saying, "In this way Babylon the great city will be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again!

(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.) This [is] the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy [is] the one who has a part in the first resurrection. Over this person the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years.

And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death--the lake of fire.

"And behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed [is] the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."

And he said to me, "{Do not do that!} I am your fellow slave, and of your brothers the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"

And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near!

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written in this book.

And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and from the holy city that are written in this book.