For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

And I beseech you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words.

Greet all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy greet you.

But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

And you have respect to him that wears the fine clothing, and say unto him, Sit here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand there, or sit here under my footstool:

But you have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judges?

But if you have respect to persons, you commit sin, and are convicted of the law as transgressors.

For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has showed no mercy; and mercy triumphs over judgment.

Yea, a man may say, You have faith, and I have works: show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, boast not, and lie not against the truth.

You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.

Your gold and silver is rusted; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as if it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, cries: and the cries of them who have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts.

You have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; you have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

You have condemned and killed the just; and he does not resist you.

Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

Behold, we count them happy who endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very compassionate, and of tender mercy.

Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto sincere love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently:

If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Who in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

For the time past of our life will suffice us to have done the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in licentiousness, lusts, excess of wine, reveling, carousing, and abominable idolatries:

And above all things have fervent love among yourselves: for love shall cover a multitude of sins.

But the God of all grace, who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, restore, establish, strengthen, settle you.

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

Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:

Moreover I will endeavor that you may be able after my departure to have these things always in remembrance.

For we have not followed cunningly devised myths, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; to which you do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Who have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that have just escaped from them who live in error.

For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

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, of the Word of life;

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

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

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto 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:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.

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

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

My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard from the beginning.

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

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

Little children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there 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 no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

I have not written unto you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

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

These things have I written unto you concerning them that deceive you.

But the anointing which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him.

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

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

But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his heart of compassion from him, how dwells the love of God in him?

Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then have we confidence toward God.

And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, of which you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

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

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

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

In 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.

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

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

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

And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we desired of him.

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

I rejoiced greatly that I found some of your children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have worked for, but that we receive a full reward.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Who have borne witness of your love before the church: whom if you send forward on their journey in a godly manner, you shall do well:

I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, receives us not.

Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

To execute judgment upon all, and to convict all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

And on some have compassion, making a difference:

I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hades and of death.

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

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:

And have endured, and have patience, and for my name's sake have labored, and have not fainted.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love.

But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Fear none of those things which you will suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.

I know your works and where you dwell, even where Satan's throne is: and you hold fast my name, and have not denied my faith, even in those days when Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.

But I have a few things against you, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

So have you also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say; I will put upon you no other burden.

But that which you have already hold fast till I come.

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things says he that has the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found your works perfect before God.

Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you will not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name.

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.

Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.