and because of this weakness he is bound to offer sin-offerings not only for the people, but also for himself.

Again no one takes this honorable office for himself, but he is called by God, just as Aaron was.

So even the Christ was not raised to the high glory of the priesthood by himself, but on the contrary by Him who said to him. Thou art my Son; this day have I become thy Father;

And this too, although you ought by this time to be teaching others, you are still needing some one to teach you the very rudiments of divine revelation. You need milk, not solid food.

And this we will do, if God permit.

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, secure and strong, and passing into the sanctuary which is beyond the veil;

It was this Melchizedek, King of Salem and Priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him;

But observe how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the Patriarch, gave a tenth part of the spoils.

But this man who had no Levitical genealogy actually took tithes of Abraham, and blessed him to whom the promises belong.

And this is yet more abundantly clear if, after the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another Priest,

The pith of all that we have been saying is this; we do have such a High Priest; and he has taken his seat on the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens,

For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices; whence it follows that this High Priest also must have some offering to make.

"For this is the covenant which I will covenant with the house of Israel, After these days," says the Lord; "I will put my laws into their minds, And upon their hearts will I write them; And I will be their God, And they shall be my people;

The Holy Spirit teaching by this that the way into the Holiest has not yet been disclosed while the first tent is still standing.

This is a parable, for the present time, according to which gifts and sacrifices are offered that are not able, as far as conscience is concerned, to perfect the worshiper;

But when Christ came, a High Priest of good things to come, he passed through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is to say, not of this material creation,

And because of this he is the Mediator of a new testament, in order that, since a death has taken place to atone for offenses committed under the first testament, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

saying, This is the blood of that testament which God commanded in regard to you.

It is for this reason that the Christ, on coming into the world, declared. Sacrifice and offerings thou dost not desire, But a body didst thou prepare for me;

And it is by this will that we have been sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

this Priest, after offering one Sacrifice for sins, sat down forever on God's right hand;

"This is the covenant I will make with them After those days," says the Lord. "I will set my laws upon their hearts, And I will inscribe them on their minds."

By faith the people crossed over the Red Sea as on dry land; and when the Egyptians tried to do this they were swallowed up.

Seeing then that we are encircled with this great cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin that clings about us. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Obey your leaders and submit to them; for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who must give account; that they may do thus with joy and not with lamentation, for this would be unprofitable to you.

Mark this well, my dear brothers. Let every man be swift in hearing, slow in speaking, slow in growing angry;

But the man who looks closely into the perfect law??he law of liberty??nd continues looking, this man will be blessed in his deed because he is not a hearer who forgets, but a doer who does.

and you look up to him who wears the fine clothing, and say to him, "Sit here in this fine place!" and to the poor man you say, "Stand there!" or "Sit on the floor at my feet!"

Listen, my dear brothers, has not God chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith, and to inherit the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him?

And the Scripture was fulfilled which said, And Abraham believed God, and this was imputed to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend.

From out of the same mouth pour forth blessings and cursings! My brothers, this ought not to be so.

You ought instead to say, "If the Lord wills it, we shall live and do this or that."

Exult in this, though now for a brief moment, if need be, you have suffered many hardships.

Concerning this salvation the Prophets who prophesied regarding the grace intended for you, diligently sought and searched.

But the word of the Lord abides forever. And this is the word of the gospel which has been told to you.

and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense. They stumble over it because they are disobeying God's word, and to this they were also appointed.

For what credit is it if, when you are struck for a fault, you take it patiently? But if when you are doing well and suffer for it, you always take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

For this is your calling; because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps;

For in this way in the olden time the holy women also, who put their trust in God, used to adorn themselves. They were ever in submission to their own husbands;

not paying back evil for evil or abuse for abuse, but on the contrary giving a blessing. Because for this you have been called??o inherit a blessing.

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.

The gospel was preached for this cause to those who were dead also, that they might be judged according to men in flesh, but live according to God in spirit.

But if any man is suffering as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him ever glorify God in this Name.

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.

By Sylvanus, a faithful brother of yours, as I suppose, I have written you briefly, to comfort you, and to testify that this is the true grace of God. In this stand fast.

For this very reason do your best to add to your faith manliness, and to manliness knowledge,

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

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.

So I think it right, as long as I am in this "tent," to rouse you by way of reminding you,

For he did receive honor and glory from God the Father, when there was borne such a voice to him from the Majestic Glory, This is my Son, my Beloved, in whom I delight;

and this voice we ourselves heard, borne to us out of heaven, when we were with him on the holy hill.

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.

But first be assured of this??hat no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation.

This is now my second letter to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your pure minds by putting you in remembrance.

Know this first, that mockers will come in the last days, in their mockery, men who walk the way of their own lusts

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

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

This, then, is the message that we have heard from him, and are announcing to you, that God is light, and no darkness what ever is in him.

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.

This is how we may know that we have come to know Him, by always keeping his commandments.

and the truth is not in him; bit if any man obey his word, in him truly is the love of God made perfect. By this we come to know that we are in him.

My children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that an antichrist was coming, and now many antichrists are already risen, whence we may know that it is the last hour.

Who is the liar if not the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, even he who disowns the Father and the Son.

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

I have written this to you concerning those who would lead you astray.

Behold what manner of love the Father has given us in allowing us to be called "Children of God!" And that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us, because it did not know him.

And every one who is holding this hope in him is purifying himself, even as he is pure.

He who is committing sin is of the devil, because from the beginning of the devil is sinning. It was for this cause that the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; for every one who does not work righteousness is not a child of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

For this is the message that you have listened to from the beginning, "WE ARE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER."

By this we learn to know love, because he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

But whoever has this world's goods, and beholds his brother in need, and shuts up his heart against him, how can the love of God continue to abide in him?

By this we shall come to know that we are really of the truth,

His commandment is this, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he has commanded us to do.

He who keeps his commandments is abiding in Him, and Christ in him. By this we know that Christ is abiding in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.

By this you know the Spirit of God; every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is from God;

and every spirit which confesses him not, is not from God. And this is that spirit of Antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming, and that now it is already in the world.

They are of the world, and for this reason they speak as of the world, and the world listens to them.

But you are of God. He who is beginning to know God listens to us; he who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we may distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of error.

In this was the love of God clearly shown toward us, by his sending his only Son 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 to be a propitiation for our sins.

By this we come to know that we are abiding in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit;

In this is love made perfect with us, so that we may have cheerful confidence in the Day of Judgment, because we are living in this world as He lives.

And we have this command from God: HE WHO LOVES GOD IS TO LOVE HIS BROTHER ALSO.

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

If we accept men's testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God, that he has borne testimony concerning his Son.

And the testimony is this, "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."

Now the confidence which we have in him is this, that he listens to us whenever we ask anything that is in accordance with his will.

And we know that the Son of God is come, and has granted us and understanding, so that we may come to know him who is true. And we are in him who is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and life eternal.

And this is love, that we should lead our lives according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, that you should pass your life in love.

I say this because many deceivers are gone forth into the world, those who deny the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.

If any one come to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, nor give him any greeting.

I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are passing their lives in the truth.

For certain men have crept in stealthily??en predestined in ancient prophecies for this condemnation??mpious ones! They pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness, and deny Jesus Christ, our sole Master and Lord.

The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks, is this. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches."

But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

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

But I have this against you, that you are tolerating that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she is teaching and leading my slaves astray, leading them to practise immorality, and to eat food which has been sacrificed to idols.

After this, in my vision, I saw a door opened in heaven! And the first voice that I heard speaking with me was like a trumpet, saying, "Come up hither, and I will show you the things that must come to pass hereafter."

After this I saw four angels, standing at the four corners of the earth, restraining the four winds from blowing on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.