For it is written, "You must be holy, because I am holy."

If you call "Father" the one who judges everyone impartially according to what they have done, you must live in reverent fear as long as you are strangers in a strange land.

For you know that you were not redeemed from your useless [spiritually unproductive] way of life inherited [by tradition] from your forefathers with perishable things like silver and gold,

Now that, through your obedience to the truth, you have purified your souls for cherishing sincere brotherly love, you must love another heartily and fervently.

you, also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual temple, a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices, most acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ.

It must be so, because the Scriptures say: "Here now I lay in Zion a chosen stone, a costly cornerstone, And not a single one who puts his trust in Him will ever be put to shame."

You household servants must submit yourselves to your masters out of respect, not only to those who are kind and fair, but also to those who are unjust.

It is your vocation; for when Christ suffered for you, he left you an example, and you must follow his footsteps.

In a similar way, you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands so that, even if some of them refuse to obey the word, they may be won over without a word through your conduct as wives

Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses;

yours must be the inner beauty of character, the imperishable attraction of a quiet and gentle spirit, which has great value in the sight of God.

In a similar way, you husbands must live with your wives in an understanding manner, as with a most delicate partner. Honor them as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing may interfere with your prayers.

Finally, all of you must live in harmony, be sympathetic, love as brothers, and be compassionate and humble.

not returning evil for evil, or abuse for abuse. You must bless people instead. It is for this that you were called??o obtain blessing.

For "The one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and [his] lips must not speak deceit.

And he must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.

but in your hearts be consecrated to Christ as Lord, and always be ready to make your defense to anyone who asks a reason for the hope you have. But you must do it in gentleness and reverence,

Since, then, Christ has suffered in the flesh, you also must arm yourselves with a determination to do the same--because he who has suffered in the flesh has done with sin--

But they must render account to Him who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.

And most of all be warm in your love for one another; because in love there is forgiveness for sins without number:

Whatever be the gifts which each has received, you must use them for one another's benefit, as good stewards of God's many-sided kindness.

Whoever speaks must speak God's words. Whoever serves must serve with the strength that God supplies, so that in every way God may be glorified through Jesus, the Messiah. Glory and power belong to him forever and ever! Amen.

I need hardly say that no one among you must suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a criminal, or for interfering in matters which do not concern Christians.

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

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with the will of God must [continue to] do right and commit their souls [for safe-keeping] to the faithful Creator.

Be shepherds of God's flock that is among you, watching over it, not because you must but because you want to, and not greedily but eagerly, as God desires.

In the same way you younger men must submit to your elders; and all of you must gird yourselves with humility towards one another, for God sets Himself against the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

through which to us the most great and precious promises have been given, that through these ye may become partakers of a divine nature, having escaped from the corruption in the world in desires.

For this very reason, you must make every effort to supplement your faith with moral character, your moral character with knowledge,

Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one’s own [personal or special] interpretation,

Most of all, however, them who go their way, after the flesh, with a coveting of defilement, and who despise, lordship, - daring! willful! before dignitaries, they tremble not, defaming,

These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

First of all, know [without any doubt] that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following after their own human desires

But there is one thing, dear friends, which you must not forget. With the Lord one day resembles a thousand years and a thousand years resemble one day.

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

You, therefore, dear friends, having been warned beforehand, must continually be on your guard so as not to be led astray by the false teaching of immoral men nor fall from your own stedfastness.

You must grow in the blessing and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory to him now and forever.

But whoever keeps his word, God's love has most certainly been perfected in him. This is how we know that we are in him:

The one who says that he abides in him must live the same way he himself lived.

[As for] you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you, you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].

And now, dear children, I repeat, you must continue to live in union with Him, so that if He is unveiled, we may have unshaken confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame when He comes.

If you know that He is upright, you must know that everyone who practices uprightness is born of Him.

Because this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we must love one another,

We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the Evil One and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? It was because his life was bad while his brother's was good.

You must not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you!

Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.

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

And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother.

Every person who believes that Jesus is the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one] has been [spiritually] conceived [and eventually born] by God. And everyone who [continually] loves God, who did the conceiving, also [must continually] love the person whom God has [spiritually] conceived.

And this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love.

Watch yourselves; you must not lose what you have been working for, but gain a full reward.

If anyone continuously comes to see you without bringing this teaching, you must stop welcoming him to your house and stop bidding him good morning,

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Beloved, thou doest faithfully in whatever thou mayest have wrought towards the brethren and that strangers,

they have made a publick declaration of your charity, and you will do well to accompany them in the most effectual manner.

Dear friends, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common Salvation, I felt that I must write to you at once to urge you to fight in defense of the Faith that has once for all been entrusted to the keeping of Christ's People.

They are raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame. They are wandering stars, to whom is reserved the mist of darkness forever.

But as for you, beloved, remember the [prophetic] words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

must keep yourselves safe in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will result in the Life of the Ages.

Some, when they argue with you, you must endeavor to convince;

others you must try to save, as brands plucked from the flames; and on others look with pity mingled with fear, while you hate every trace of their sin.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes (nations) of the earth will mourn over Him [realizing their sin and guilt, and anticipating the coming wrath]. So it is to be. Amen.

remember, then, whence thou hast fallen, and reform, and the first works do; and if not, I come to thee quickly, and will remove thy lamp-stand from its place -- if thou mayest not reform;

Fear nothing that you are about to suffer. Be aware that the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested [in your faith], and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful to the point of death [if you must die for your faith], and I will give you the crown [consisting] of life.

I know about your deeds, your love, your faith, your service and your endurance, and that your most recent deeds are more numerous than when you first began [your Christian lives].

'Remember, then, how thou hast received, and heard, and be keeping, and reform: if, then, thou mayest not watch, I will come upon thee as a thief, and thou mayest not know what hour I will come upon thee.

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.

and I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, 'A measure of wheat for a denary, and three measures of barley for a denary,' and 'The oil and the wine thou mayest not injure.'

And the kings of the earth, and the most important people, and the military leaders, and the rich, and the powerful, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains,

and when the seven thunders spake their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice out of the heaven saying to me, 'Seal the things that the seven thunders spake,' and, 'Thou mayest not write these things.'

And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

and the court that is without the sanctuary leave out, and thou mayest not measure it, because it was given to the nations, and the holy city they shall tread down forty-two months;

And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Let anyone who has an ear listen: ??10 Whoever is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes: whoever kills with the sword, by the sword must he be killed. This is what shows the patience and the faith of the saints.

He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

Here is wisdom: The one who has understanding must calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666.

And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

So must the Beast that was, but is not. He counts as an eighth king, although he is one of the seven, and is on his way to destruction.

The more she has given herself to pride and luxury the more you must give her torture and grief. Because she says to herself, 'I sit on a throne; I am not a widow, I shall never have any sorrow,'

The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

And the fruits of the desire of thy soul did go away from thee, and all things -- the dainty and the bright -- did go away from thee, and no more at all mayest thou find them.

And the light of a lamp will never shine in you again! And the sound of a bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again! For your merchants were the most important people of the earth, because with your sorcery they deceived all the nations.

A voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all who serve and fear him, from the least important to the most important."

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he [stopped me and] said to me, “You must not do that; I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers and sisters who have and hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God [alone]. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy [His life and teaching are the heart of prophecy].”

so that you can eat the flesh of kings, and military commanders, and strong [i.e., influential ?] people, and horses with their riders, and [you can eat] the flesh of all people, the least significant [as well as] the most important ones."

And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

And I saw dead people, the most important and the least significant ones, standing in front of the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life [Note: This refers to a record of those to whom God has granted never ending life]. And these dead people [i.e., who have now been resurrected] were judged according to their deeds, based on what was recorded in the books.

Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;

And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who heed and remember [the truths contained in] the words of this book. Worship God.”

And he saith to me, 'Thou mayest not seal the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is nigh;

The evildoer must continue to do evil, and the one who is morally filthy must continue to be filthy. The one who is righteous must continue to act righteously, and the one who is holy must continue to be holy."