who through him, believe in God, who raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God.

Now this is that word which has been proclaimed as glad tidings to you.

as newborn babes, earnestly desire the unadulterated milk of the word, that you may grow by it.

Because, indeed, you have tasted that the Lord is good;

but you are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people; that you should declare the perfections of him who has called you from darkness into his marvelous light:

Have your behavior comely, among the Gentiles, that, whereas, they speak against you, as evil doers, having beheld your good works, they may glorify God, in the day of visitation.

For so is the will of God, that, by doing good, you put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Besides, to this you were called; for even Christ suffered for us, leaving us a pattern, that you should follow his footsteps;

who himself bore away our sins in his own body, on the tree; that we, being freed from sins, should live to righteousness; by whose stripes you are healed.

In like manner, let the wives be in subjection to their own husbands; that, indeed, if any obey not the word, they, without the word, may be won by the behavior of their wives,

whose adorning, let it not be that which is external-the plaiting of hair, trinkets of gold, or finery of dress;

In like manner, husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor to the wife, as the weaker vessel, and as joint heirs of the favor of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

not returning evil for evil, or railing for railing; but, on the contrary, bless: knowing that to this you were called, that you might inherit the blessing.

Besides, who is he that will do evil to you, if you be imitators of the Good One?

Hold fast a good conscience, that, whereas they speak against you as evil doers, they may be put to shame who arraign your good behavior in Christ.

For even Christ once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God; being put to death, indeed, in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit.

who formerly were disobedient, when the patience of God once waited, in the days of Noah, while an ark was preparing, in which few, that is, eight souls, were effectually saved through water-

so that he no longer lives his remaining time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

On which account they wonder that you do not run with them, into the same sink of debauchery, reviling you,-

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

If any one speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: if any one minister, let him do it as from the strength which God supplies; that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

but, seeing you partake of the sufferings of Christ, rejoice: that, also, at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice, with exceeding great joy.

However, if any one suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him even glorify God on that account.

Indeed, the time is come that punishment must begin at the house of God; and if it begin first at us, what the end of them who do not obey the gospel of God?

Be humbled, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.

whom resist, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the very same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren, who are in the world.

By Sylvanus, a faithful brother, (as I conclude,) I have written to you in few words, exhorting you, and strongly testifying that this is the true favor of God, in which you stand.

On account of which, the greatest and most precious promises are freely given to us, that by these we might be made partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world, through lust.

knowing, that the putting off of this, my tabernacle, is soon to happen, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me.

Therefore, I will carefully endeavor that you may be able, after my decease, to have these things always in remembrance.

Knowing this first, that no prophecy brought by the will of man;

(for; -that righteous man, dwelling among them, by the sight and report of their unlawful deeds, tormented his righteous soul from day to day;)

They promise them liberty, whilst they themselves are slaves of corruption: for every one is enslaved by that which overcomes him.

Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking after their own lusts,

But this willfully escapes them, that, by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth subsisting from the water, and by water:

by which the world that then was, being deluged with water, perished.

But this one thing, let it not escape you, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord does not delay his promise in the manner some account delaying; but he exercises long-suffering toward us, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to reformation.

However, as thief, the day of the Lord will come; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements burning shall be dissolved; and the earth, and the works that are upon it, shall be utterly burned.

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have contemplated, and our hands have handled, concerning the living Word-

(for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and declare to you that life which is eternal, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us;)

that which we have seen and heard, we declare to you; that you also may have fellowship with us: and our fellowship truly is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

And these things we write to you, that your joy may be complete.

Moreover, this is the message which we have heard from him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and obey not the truth.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. Yet if any one has sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Just One.

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

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

But he who hates his brother, is in the darkness, and walks in that darkness, and does not know whither he goes; because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father, but is of the world.

Young children, it is the last period. And as you have heard that the antichrist comes, so, now, there are many antichrists; whence you know that it is the last period.

They went away from us, but they were not of us. For, if they had been of us, they would have abode with us; but they went away, that they might be made manifest that they were not of us.

I have not written to you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

Who is a liar, if not he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

but the unction which you have received from him abides in you; and you have no need that any one should teach you, unless the same unction teaches you concerning all things, and is truth, and is no lie: and as it has taught you, you will abide in him.

And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and may not be put to shame by him, at his coming.

If you know that he is righteous, you know that every one who works righteousness, has been begotten by him.

Behold how great love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know him.

Beloved, now we are the children of God; but it does not yet appear what we shall be. However, we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him-that we shall see him as he is.

Moreover, you know that he was manifested that he might take away our sins-and in him is no sin.

He who works sin, is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Do not wonder, my brethren, that the world hates you.

We know that we have passed away from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who loves not his brother, abides in death.

Every one who hates his brother, is a manslayer; and you know that no manslayer has eternal life abiding in him.

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

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

Now he who keeps His commandments, abides in him, and He in him; and by this we know that he abides in us, even by the Spirit, which he has given us.

By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is from God.

And every spirit that does not confess Jesus, is not from God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, which you have heard that it comes, and now is in the world already.

By this the love of God was manifested to us, that God sent forth his Son, the only begotten, into the world, that we might live through him.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent forth his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.

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

Now we have seen, and bear testimony, that the Father has sent forth his Son, to be the Saviour of the world.

Whoever will confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

By this, the love has been perfected in us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.

Moreover, this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God, loves his brother, also.

Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ, has been begotten by God; and every one who loves the begetter, loves also the begotten by him.

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 burdensome;

because, every one that is begotten by God, overcomes the world. And this is the victory which overcomes the world, even our faith.

Who is he that overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Now this is the testimony, that God has given to us eternal life: and this life is in his Son.

These things I have written to you, that you may know that you have eternal life-that you may continue to believe on the name of the Son of God.

And this is the confidence which we have with him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hearkens to us.

And if we know that he hearkens to us, concerning whatever we ask; we know that we shall obtain the petitions which we have asked from him.

If any one see his brother sinning a sin, not to death, let him ask, and he will grant to him life, for those who sin not to death. There is a sin leading to death. I do not say concerning it, that you should ask.

We know that whoever has been begotten by God, does not sin; but he who is begotten by God, guards himself, and the wicked on does not lay hold on him.

We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies under the wicked one.

Moreover, we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, that we might know him that is true; and we are in him that is true-in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and the eternal life.

And now I beseech you, Cyria, not as writing to you a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

And this is the love that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you have heard from the beginning, that you may walk in it;

Look to yourselves, that we may not lose the things which we have wrought, but may receive a full reward.

Having many things to write to you, I did not incline to communicate them by paper and ink; because I hope to come to you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be complete.

Beloved, I pray, that with respect to all things, you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.

I have no greater joy than that which I have when I hear my children are walking in truth.

We, therefore, ought to entertain such, that we may be joint laborers in the truth.

Testimony is borne to Demetrius, by all, and by the truth itself; and we also bear testimony; and you know that our testimony is true.

I will therefore put you in remembrance, though you formerly knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them who did not believe.