having been regenerated, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of the living God, which remains.

Wherefore, it is contained in the scripture, "Behold I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: whoever trusts in it, shall not be ashamed."

who formerly were not a people, but now are a people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Live as freemen, yet do not use your freedom as a covering of wickedness; but as the servants of God.

Let household servants be subject to their masters, with all reverence; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

who did not sin, neither was guile found in his mouth;

who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered he did not threaten, but committed his cause to him who judges righteously-

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;

even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord; whose daughters you are become, doing well, and not fearing any terror.

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.

Nevertheless, although you even suffer for righteousness' sake, you are happy. Therefore, do not fear their fear, neither be troubled:

the antitype, immersion, does, also, now save us, (not putting away the filth of the flesh; but seeking of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ;

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

Beloved, wonder not at the fiery trial among you, which is come upon you for a trial, as if some strange thing happened to you;

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?

Feed the flock of God, which is with you; exercising the overseer's office, not by constraint, but willingly; neither for the sake of sordid gain, but from good disposition;

and when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive the crown of glory which fades not away.

But he who has not these things, is blind, shutting his eyes, having become forgetful of the purification of his old sins.

Wherefore, I will not neglect to put you always in remembrance of these things, although you know, and are established in the present truth.

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his grandeur;

And through covetousness, they will make merchandise of you, by fictitious tales: to whom the punishment threatened of old lingers not, and their destruction slumbers not.

For God, indeed, did not spare the angels who sinned, but with chains of darkness confining them in Tartarus, delivered them over to be kept for judgment;

and did not spare the old world, but saved Noah, the eighth, a proclaimer of righteousness, when he brought the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

but especially those who go after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and who despise government: being audacious, self-willed, who fear not to revile dignitaries;

whereas, angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

But these, as natural, irrational animals, made for capture and destruction, speaking evil of matters which they do not understand, shall be utterly destroyed by their own corruptions;

Therefore, it has been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them.

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.

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

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

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 he is a propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.

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

Brethren, I do not write a new commandment to you; but an old commandment, which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word, which you have heard from the beginning.

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.

Love not the world, neither the things which are in the world. If any one love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

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.

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.

Whoever denies the Son, does not acknowledge the Father.

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.

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.

Whoever abides in him, does not sin. Whoever sins has not seen him, neither has known him.

Whoever has been begotten by God, does not work sin; because his seed abides in him; and he can not sin, because he has been begotten by God.

By this the children of God are discovered, and the children of the devil: whoever works not righteousness, is not of God, neither he who loves not his brother.

Not being of the wicked one, as Cain was, who slew his brother. And on account of what, did he slay him? Because his own works were wicked, and his brother's righteous.

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.

Whoever, therefore, has the goods of this world, and sees his brother in need, and yet shuts up his compassion from him, how abides the love of God in him?

My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue; but in deed, and in truth.

Beloved, if our heart do not condemn us, we have confidence with God.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be from God; because many false prophets are gone forth into the world.

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.

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

He who does not love, does not know God; for God is love.

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.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment: therefore, he who fears is not made perfect in love.

If any one say, Indeed I love God, and yet hate his brother, he is a liar: for he who loves not his brother, whom he has seen, how can he love God, whom he has not seen?

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

This is her who came by water and blood, even Jesus the Christ; not by the water only, but by the water and the blood.

(He who believes on the Son of God, has the testimony in himself. He who believes not God, has made him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony, which God has testified concerning his Son.)

He who has the Son, has this life; he who has not the Son of God, has not this life.

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.

All unrighteousness is sin: but there is a sin not to death.

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.

The elder, to Electa Cyria, and her children, whom I love sincerely; and not I only, but also all who have known the truth;

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.

for many deceivers are entered into the world, who do not confess Jesus Christ did come in the flesh. This is the deceiver, and the antichrist.

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

Whoever transgresses, and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, has not God: he who abides in the doctrine of Christ, has both the Father and the Son.

If any one come to you, and bring not this doctrine; receive him not into your house, nor wish him success:

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.

I wrote to the congregation: but Diotrephes, who affects a pre-eminence among them, does not receive us.

For this cause, when I come, I will bring his deeds to remembrance, which he practices-prating against us with malicious words; and, not content with this, he does not himself receive the brethren, and forbids them who would, and casts them out of the congregation.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good, is of God; but he who does evil, has not seen God.

I have many things to write; but I do not incline to write them to you with pen and ink:

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.

Also, the angels who kept not their first estate, but left their proper habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, to the judgment of the great day.

Whereas, Michael, the Arch Angel, when contending with the devil, (he disputed about the body of Moses,) did not attempt to bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke":

but these, indeed, revile those things which they do not know; but what things they do know, naturally, as animals void of reason, by these things they destroy themselves.

These be they who separate themselves, sensual, not having the Spirit.

And when I saw him, I fell down at his feet, as dead; and he laid his right hand upon me, and said, Fear not; I am the First and the Last;

I know your works, and your labor, and your patience; and that you can not bear those who are evil: and you have tried those who say they are Apostles, and are not, and have found them liars;

and you have patience; and have borne for my name's sake, and have not fainted.

I know your works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but you are rich,) and I know the slander of those who say they are Jews, and are not; but are the assembly of Satan.

Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the congregations. The conqueror shall not be injured by the second death.

I know your works, and where you dwell; even where the throne of Satan is: and you hold fast my name, and have not denied my faith, even in those days in which Antipas was my faithful witness, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.

And I have given her time to reform from her fornication, and she reforms not.

But I say to you, even to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not hold this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will lay upon you no other burden.

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, which are ready to die: for I have not found your works filled up in the sight of God.

Remember, therefore, how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and reform: therefore, unless you are watchful, I will come upon you as thief, and you shall not know what hour I will come upon you.

But you have a few names in Sardis, who have not polluted their garments: and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.