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

to whom you are drawing near, a living stone rejected by men but chosen [and] precious in the sight of God.

For it stands in scripture, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a chosen [and] precious cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will never be put to shame."

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},"

But you [are] a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for [God's] possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,

who once [were] not a people, but now [are] the people of God, the ones [who were] not shown mercy, but now are shown mercy.

[Live] as free [persons], and not using your freedom as a covering for evil, but as slaves of God.

Domestic slaves, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to those [who are] good and gentle, but also to those [who are] unjust.

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.

who [when he] was reviled, did not revile in return; [when] suffering, he did not threaten, but entrusted [himself] to the one who judges justly,

For you were going astray like sheep, but you have turned back now to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

but the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable [quality] of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is highly valuable in the sight of God.

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.

For the eyes of the Lord [are] on the righteous, and his ears [are open to] their prayer. But the face of the Lord [is] against those who do evil.

But even if you might suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed. And do not be afraid of their intimidation or be disturbed,

but set Christ apart [as] Lord in your hearts, always ready to [make] a defense to anyone who asks you [for] an accounting concerning the hope [that is] in you.

But [do so] with courtesy and respect, having a good conscience, so that in [the things] in which you are slandered, the ones who malign your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, in order that he could bring you to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit,

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,

in order to live the remaining time in the flesh no longer for human desires, but for the will of God.

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 to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice [and] be glad.

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

For [it is] the time for the judgment to begin out from the household of God. But if [it begins] out from us first, what will be the outcome for those who are disobedient to the gospel of God?

shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not by compulsion but willingly, in accordance with God, and not greedily but eagerly,

and not as lording it over {those under your care}, but being examples for the flock.

In the same way, younger men, be subject to the elders, and all [of you] clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

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

For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ [by] following ingeniously concocted myths, but [by] being eyewitnesses of that one's majesty.

for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you also, who will bring in {destructive heresies}, even denying the Master who bought them, [thus] bringing on themselves swift destruction.

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but held [them] captive in Tartarus with chains of darkness [and] handed [them] over to be kept for judgment,

and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a proclaimer of righteousness, {and seven others} [when he] brought a flood on the world of the ungodly,

But these persons, like irrational animals born [only with] natural [instincts] for capture and killing, blaspheming {about things} they do not understand, in their destruction will also be destroyed,

but received a rebuke for his own lawlessness: a speechless donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained {the prophet's madness}.

{For by speaking high-sounding but empty words}, they entice with desires of the flesh [and] with licentiousness those who are scarcely escaping from those who live in error,

But by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, [because he] does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a rushing noise, and the celestial bodies will be destroyed [by] being burned up, and the earth and the deeds [done] on it will be disclosed.

But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness resides.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him [be] the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

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

and he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world.

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.

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the message which you have heard.

But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

because everything [that is] in the world--the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of material possessions--is not from the Father, but is from the world.

And the world is passing away, and its desire, but the one who does the will of God remains {forever}.

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], in order that it might be shown that all of them are not of us.

I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because every lie is not of the truth.

And [as for] you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you do not have need that anyone teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all [things], and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you reside in him.

And now, little children, remain in him, so that whenever he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.

But whoever has the world's material possessions and observes his brother {in need} and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God reside in him?

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits [to determine] if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

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.

[There] is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear includes punishment, and the one who is afraid has not been perfected in love.

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.

We know that everyone who is fathered by God does not sin, but the one fathered by God, he protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

The elder, to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth--and not I alone, but also all those who know the truth--

And now I ask you, lady (not as [if I were] writing a new commandment to you, but [one] that we have had from the beginning), that we should love one another.

Watch yourselves that you do not lose what we have worked for, but receive a full reward.

[Although] I have many [things] to write to you, I do not want [to do so] by means of paper and ink, but I hope to be with you and to speak {face to face}, so that your joy may be complete.

I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who wants to be first [among] them, does not acknowledge us.

Dear friend, do not imitate [what is] evil, but [what is] good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

I have many things to write to you, but I do not want to write to you by means of ink and pen.

But I hope to see you right away, and to speak {face to face}.

And [the] angels who did not keep to their own domain but deserted their proper dwelling place, he has kept in eternal bonds under deep gloom for the judgment of the great day,

But Michael the archangel, when he argued with the devil, disputing concerning the body of Moses, did not dare to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"

But these persons blaspheme all that they do not understand, and all that they understand by instinct like the irrational animals, by these [things] they are being destroyed.

But you, dear friends, remember the words proclaimed beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

But you, dear friends, [by] building yourselves up in your most holy faith, [by] praying in the Holy Spirit,

'I know your works, and your labor and patient endurance, and that you are not able to tolerate evil, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you found them [to be] false.

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

Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do {the works you did at first}. But if you do not, I am coming to you, and I will remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

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

'I know your affliction and poverty (but you are rich), and the slander of those {who call themselves Jews} and are not, but [are] a synagogue of Satan.

But I have a few [things] against you: that you have there those who hold fast to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.

Therefore repent! But if you do not, I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war with them with the sword from my mouth.

But I have against you that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, the one who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and deceives my slaves to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

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.

But you have a few {people} in Sardis who have not defiled their clothing, and they will walk with me in white, because they are worthy.

'I know your works (behold, I have put before you an opened door that no one is able to shut) that you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and did not deny my name.

Behold, I am causing [those] of the synagogue of Satan, the ones who call themselves Jews and are not, but are lying--behold, I will make them {come} and kneel down before your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.

Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth.

the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who is seated on the throne and worship the one who lives {forever and ever}, and put down their crowns before the throne, saying,

And they were singing a new song, saying, "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought [people] for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation,

They will not be hungry [any] longer or be thirsty [any] longer, nor will the sun ever beat down on them, nor any heat,

And it was granted to them that they should not kill them, but that they would be tormented five months, and their torment [is] like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person.

and holding in his hand a little scroll that was opened. And he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.

But in the days of the sound of the seventh angel, whenever he is about to blow the trumpet, then the mystery of God is completed, as he announced to his own slaves the prophets."

And I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll, and he said to me, "Take and eat it up, and it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey."

And it was given to him to put breath into the image of the beast, in order that the image of the beast both spoke and caused that all those, unless they worshiped the image of the beast, should be killed.

And they were singing [something] like a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, and no one was able to learn the song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who had been bought from the earth.

These are those who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. These [are] the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These were bought from humanity [as] first fruits to God and to the Lamb,

And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings, who have not yet received a kingdom, but they will receive authority as kings [for] one hour with the beast.

For God put into their hearts to carry out his purpose and to make {a unanimous decision} and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

Pay back to her as she herself also paid out, and {pay back double} according to her deeds; in the cup that she mixed, mix double for her.

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.

But [as] for the cowards and unbelievers and detestable persons and murderers and sexually immoral people and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their share [is] in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.