For ye were called for this. Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, so that ye should follow his footsteps.

but the inner life with the imperishable beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit; for this is very precious in God's sight.

For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands:

Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers.

not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling, but instead giving praise, knowing that ye were called for this, so that ye might inherit a blessing.

However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame.

And baptism, of which this is an image, now gives you salvation, not by washing clean the flesh, but by making you free from the sense of sin before God, through the coming again of Jesus Christ from the dead;

Since then Christ has with respect to his mortal nature died for us, arm yourselves with this reflection, that he, who is dead with respect to sensuality, has renounced sin;

so that for the future he does not pass the rest of this life in gratifying his sensual passions, but in conformity to the divine precepts.

They are astonished at this, that you do not run into the same excesses of profligacy as they do; and they speak evil of you.

For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

If someone's gift is speaking, he should [be sure to] say only what God wants him to. If a person's gift is serving, he should do so by the strength provided by God [who supplies all such gifts]. This is so that, in using all gifts, God may be honored through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs honor and power forever and ever. May it be so.

Dearly beloved, be not troubled in this heat, which now is come among you to try you, as though some strange thing had happened unto you:

but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name.

For this reason let those who by the purpose of God undergo punishment, keep on in well-doing and put their souls into the safe hands of their Maker.

Now to you who are presbyters I make this appeal; for I am myself a presbyter, and was a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory about to be revealed.

You should serve as shepherds of God's flock [i.e., the church], among whom you minister, providing careful oversight [of the people], not because you feel forced to, but because you want to, as this is in accordance with the way God wants it to be. Do not [serve as elders] simply out of a desire for the income you receive, but because your heart is in it.

For this cause make yourselves low under the strong hand of God, so that when the time comes you may be lifted up;

whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that it is for you to complete the same sufferings in this world along with your brotherhood.

By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him , I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand ye fast therein.

[This letter is being written by] Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith just as precious as ours, through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.

And through this he has given us the hope of great rewards highly to be valued; so that by them we might have our part in God's being, and be made free from the destruction which is in the world through the desires of the flesh.

Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue 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.

So, brothers, take diligent care to make your calling and election sure; for if you do this, you will never stumble.

for it is in this way that to you will be generously granted a triumphant admittance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

I shall therefore be always ready to remind you of all this, even though you know it, and are firmly founded in the truth which is with you.

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

For I am conscious that in a short time I will have to put off this tent of flesh, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

And I shall also be earnest for you always to have, after my exit, this putting in mind to be done.

For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there was borne such a voice to him by the Majestic Glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased:

and this voice we ourselves heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.

And so we possess the word of prophecy made yet more sure. Unto this you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, till the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation.

for whilst this good man was among them, it daily pierc'd his virtuous soul, to see and hear of their detestable behaviour: this consider'd,

Since all this is so, the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from temptation, and on the other hand how to keep the unrighteous under punishment in readiness for the Day of Judgement,

[This fate will come upon] those people especially who corrupt themselves with physical desires and despise being ruled by others. They are daring, self-willed, and are not afraid to speak against glorious beings [i.e., angels],

Their eyes are filled with sexual lust, and they are never satisfied when it comes to sinning. They entice unstable people and have hearts trained to be greedy [i.e., they continually desire the possessions of others]. [In this condition] they are under God's curse.

promising them freedom, while they themselves are bondmen of corruption, for by what any man has been overcome, of this he has also been enslaved.

They are illustrations of this true proverb: "A dog returns to its own vomit," and "A sow, after washing herself, wallows in the mire."

This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance;

that ye may be mindful of the words formerly spoken by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: knowing this first,

knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,

and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For, from since the fathers became asleep, all things continue this way from the beginning of creation.

For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;

But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief [i.e., unexpectedly]. At that time the heavens will pass away with a loud noise and the elements [Note: This refers either to the heavenly bodies or to the material components of the universe], will be dissolved with intense heat. And the earth and its works [i.e., its activities] will be burned up. [Note: Some translations render this phrase as it is in some ancient manuscripts, "will be disclosed," or "will be laid bare"].

If all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what men you ought to be! What holy and pious lives you ought to lead,

while waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God? Because of this day, the heavens will be burned up and dissolve, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze!

For this reason, my loved ones, as you are looking for these things, take great care that when he comes you may be in peace before him, free from sin and every evil thing.

Regard our Lord's forbearance as your one hope of Salvation. This is what our dear Brother Paul wrote to you, with the wisdom that God gave him.

speaking about these things as he does in all of his letters. In which there are some things that are difficult to understand, which the untaught and unstable [who have fallen into error] twist and misinterpret, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

For this reason, my loved ones, having knowledge of these things before they take place, take care that you are not turned away by the error of the uncontrolled, so falling from your true faith.

This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life --

Truly, this "Life" was made known to us and we have [actually] seen it [i.e., Him], and so we testify and proclaim to you [that He is] "the Eternal Life," who was with the Father and was made known to us [apostles].

I repeat, it is what we have seen and heard that we now announce to you, so that you too may share this fellowship with us, for this fellowship that we have is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ;

And we are writing all this to you that our joy may be complete.

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

My children, I am writing this to you that you may not continue to sin; but if any one sin, we ever have a Comforter before the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous.

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

He who says, I know him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this man.

But whoever keeps his word, truly in this man the love of God is fully perfected. By this we know that we are in him.

My loved ones, I do not give you a new law, but an old law which you had from the first; this old law is the word which came to your ears.

Yet, I am [also] writing to you about a new commandment [Note: This commandment was to love one another as Jesus loved them. See John 13:34]; its truth is [being demonstrated] by Christ [perfectly] and [also] by you people [in a lesser measure], because the darkness [of sin] is passing away, and the real light [of righteousness] is already shining [in people's lives].

He that saith how that he is in the light, and yet hateth his brother, is in darkness even until this time.

You should not love the [godless] world, nor the things [i.e., the materialistic values] that are part of this [present] age. If any person loves the world, a [genuine] love for the Father is not in his heart.

because this is all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you were given word that the Antichrist would come, so now a number of Antichrists have come to you; and by this we are certain that it is the last hour.

They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been indeed of us, they would have continued with us; but this was done that they might be made manifest, because all, that are with us, are not indeed of us.

I have not sent you this letter because you have no knowledge of what is true, but because you have knowledge, and because that which is false has nothing in common with that which is true.

Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son.

And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal.

I write you this with reference to those who are trying to lead you astray,

And this is important to you: The "special gift," which you received from God [See verse 20], continues to live in your hearts, [so that] you do not need anyone to teach you [anything different]. But, since this same "special gift" teaches you concerning everything that is true, and [what it teaches] is not false, you should continue to live in [fellowship with] Christ.

If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of Him.

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Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and'such we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

beloved, we are now the sons of God, tho' it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that when this change shall be, his immediate presence will give us a divine resemblance.

And every one that hath this hope'set on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

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

By this we know love, because that man laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

But if a man has this world's goods, and sees that his brother is in need, and keeps his heart shut against his brother, how is it possible for the love of God to be in him?

And by this we know that we are of the truth, and will assure our hearts before him.

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he gave us commandment.

And he who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, from the Spirit that he gave us.

By this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ having come in flesh is of God,

and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the'spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.

They are of the world. Because of this they speak of the world, and the world hears them.

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

By this the love of God was made known in us, because God sent his Son, the only begotten, into the world so that we might live through him.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son, an atonement for our sins.

Beloved! If, in this way, God, loved us, we also, ought to love, one another.

In this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us from his Spirit.

Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, even so are we in this world.

Fear is not in this love; but the perfect love casteth out fear: for fear hath anguish. He that is afraid is not made perfect in love.

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

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.