For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away.

Every good and true thing is given to us from heaven, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or any shade made by turning.

In accordance with His will He made us His children through the Message of the truth, so that we might, in a sense, be the Firstfruits of the things which He has created.

have ye not made a difference among yourselves, and become judges having evil thoughts?

For God, who said [through Moses, Ex. 20:13f], "You must not be sexually unfaithful to your mate," also said, "You must not murder." Now if you are sexually faithful to your mate and yet murder [someone], you have become a lawbreaker.

Yea, and a man might say, "Thou hast faith, and I have deeds: Show me thy faith by thy deeds: and I will show thee my faith by my deeds."

Was our father Abraham not [shown to be] justified by works [of obedience which expressed his faith] when he offered Isaac his son on the altar [as a sacrifice to God]?

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

[So], you see, it is by deeds that a person is made right with God, and not by faith alone.

And in the same way, was not the prostitute Rahab made right with God by [her] deeds when she welcomed [and protected] the messengers, and [then] sent them away by a different road?

you see how manageable horses are made by the application of a bit, which makes them take what motion we please.

And the tongue is a fire, the tongue is made a world of wickedness among our members, it defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of nature and is set on fire by hell.

Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

Out of the same mouth, come forth blessing and cursing! Not meet, my brethren, for, these things, thus, to be coming to pass!

Who wise and knowing among you? let him show out of a good mode of life his works in meekness of wisdom.

You make your request but you do not get it, because your request has been wrongly made, desiring the thing only so that you may make use of it for your pleasure.

Ye adulterers, and women that break matrimony: know ye not how that the friendship of the world is enmity to Godward? Whosoever will be friend of the world, is made the enemy of God.

Or think ye that the scripture speaketh in vain? Doth the spirit which he made to dwell in us long unto envying?

But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”

be made low before the Lord, and He shall exalt you.

Your wealth is unclean and insects have made holes in your clothing.

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!

You have been living delicately on earth and have taken your pleasure; you have made your hearts fat for a day of destruction.

Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have known what end the Lord made. For the Lord is very pitiful, and merciful.

Is any one of you suffering ill-treatment? He should keep on praying. Is anyone in a happy mood? He should keep on singing praise to God.

And by the prayer of faith the man who is ill will be made well, and he will be lifted up by the Lord, and for any sin which he has done he will have forgiveness.

So then, make a statement of your sins to one another, and say prayers for one another so that you may be made well. The prayer of a good man is full of power in its working.

Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

And he made another prayer, and the heaven sent down rain and the earth gave her fruit.

My brothers, if one of you has gone out of the way of the true faith and another has made him see his error,

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be yours in increasing abundance [as you walk closely with God].

whom the divine power preserves through faith for that salvation, which is going to be made manifest in the latter time.

in which ye are glad, a little now, if it be necessary, being made to sorrow in manifold trials,

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

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

They were eager to know the time which the Spirit of Christ within them kept indicating, or the characteristics of that time, when they solemnly made known beforehand the sufferings that were to come upon Christ and the glories which would follow.

It was revealed to them that their services [their prophecies regarding grace] were not [meant] for themselves and their time, but for you, in these things [the death, resurrection, and glorification of Jesus Christ] which have now been told to you by those who preached the gospel to you by the [power of the] Holy Spirit [who was] sent from heaven. Into these things even the angels long to look.

Let your minds then be duely prepar'd, be vigilant, and constantly expect the favour you will meet with at the appearance of Jesus Christ.

Being conscious that you have been made free from that foolish way of life which was your heritage from your fathers, not through a payment of things like silver or gold which come to destruction,

For He was foreordained (foreknown) before the foundation of the world, but has appeared [publicly] in these last times for your sake

Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:

As new born babes, long for the sincere milk pertaining to the word, that ye might be nourished with it:

You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

But ye are a chosen race, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a possession, that ye might set forth the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness to his wonderful light;

maintaining an honorable mode of life am one the Gentiles, that, inasmuch as they speak against you as evil-doers, they may, on account of your good works which they witness, glorify God in the day of visitation.

from a principle of conscience. what glory is there in suffering corporal punishment for real offences? but if you meet with ill usage for doing your duty, and bear it with constancy,

This is God's purpose for you: because Jesus himself underwent punishment for you, giving you an example, so that you might go in his footsteps:

While being reviled and insulted, He did not revile or insult in return; while suffering, He made no threats [of vengeance], but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges fairly.

who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed.

Likewise, wives being subject to their own husbands; that also, if any believe not the word, by the turning back of wives might be gained without the word;

seeing your pure mode of life in the fear [of God].

It was in that way in ancient times that those pious women who set their hopes on God made themselves attractive. They were submissive to their husbands,

Ye husbands, in like manner dwell with them discreetly, putting respect on the dear woman as being the weaker vessel, and as co-heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers may meet no interruption.

Not returning evil for evil, nor reviling for reviling, but, on the contrary, bestowing a blessing, - because, hereunto, have ye been called, in order that, a blessing, ye might inherit.

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,

and keep your conscience clear, so that those who abuse your upright Christian conduct may be made ashamed of their slanders.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

In that state He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison

who had once been disobedient, when in Noah's time God in his patience waited for the ark to be made ready, in which a few people, eight in all, were brought safely through the water.

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

Therefore, Christ having suffered for us in the flesh, also you arm yourselves with the same thought, that he suffering in the flesh has been made to rest from sin,

that he might not spend the remaining space of life in the flesh after human passions, but the divine will.

For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

If any one speak as oracles of God; if any one minister as of strength which God supplies; that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory and the might for the ages of ages. Amen.

But, inasmuch as ye participate in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice; that also, in the revelation of his glory, ye might rejoice, transported with joy.

I address myself to you pastors, as being a pastor myself, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and as one who is to partake of the glory, that shall hereafter be made manifest;

And when the chief Shepherd is made known, ye will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Be made lowly, therefore, under the strong hand of God, that he may lift, you, up in due time, -

Be abstemious, watch; for your adversary the accuser, as a roaring lion, walks around, seeking whom he might swallow down:

to him be the glory and the might for the ages of the ages. Amen.

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

For the man who has not these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having no memory of how he was made clean from his old sins.

Wherefore rather, brethren, be earnest to have your calling and selection made firm: for doing these, ye should not once stumble:

Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

knowing that the laying aside of this earthly tent of mine is imminent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

I will enforce, therefore, that on every side ye might have wherewith to stir up the remembrance of these things after my departing.

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

For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—

and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:

for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly;

Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

having eyes full of an adulteress, and unable to cease from sin; beguiling unestablished souls: having a heart which has been made fat with covetousness; children of the curse:

but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with a man's voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.

For with high-sounding false words, making use of the attraction of unclean desires of the flesh, they get into their power those newly made free from those who are living in error;

They promise them liberty, when they themselves are the slaves of depravity—for by whatever anyone is defeated and overcome, to that [person, thing, philosophy, or concept] he is continually enslaved.

for it had been better for them, not to have made any profession of the gospel, than after they have embraced it, to abandon the holy injunction, that was delivered to them.

But that word of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog has turned back to his own vomit; and, The washed sow to her rolling in mud.

To remember the fore-spoken declarations made by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour, by your apostles.

For of this they are willingly ignorant, that the heavens were of old, and the earth was made of water and by water by the word of God,

anticipating and hastening the coming of the day of God, by which the heavens, being made fiery hot, will be disintegrated, and the elements dissolve, being intensely hot?

THAT which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld and our hands felt, concerning the Word of life,??2 and the life was made manifest, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us,??3 that which we have seen and heard, we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

and the Life [an aspect of His being] was manifested, and we have seen [it as eyewitnesses] and testify and declare to you [the Life], the eternal Life who was [already existing] with the Father and was [actually] made visible to us [His followers]—

What we have seen and heard we announce to you, that ye also might have communion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

and these things we write, that our joy may be made full.

My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you might not sin. Yet if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus, the Messiah, one who is righteous.