10 11 12 13 For "whoever desireth life; and loveth to see good days; And his lips from speaking guile; Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, But the face of the Lord is against them who do evil.*" Who then will hurt you if you be imitators of him who is 14 good? But if you should even suffer on the account of righte ousness, you are happy. Be not terrified with the fear of them, 15 nor dismayed; but sanctify the Lord in your hearts+" and be always prepared, in answer to every one who demandeth of you a reason for the hope which is in you, to make a defence 16 with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, that when they speak against you as evil doers, they who calumniate 17 your good conversation in Christ may be put to shame. For if it be the will of God that you should suffer, it is better that you should suffer as well doers than as evil doers. 18 Because Christ himself suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God: being indeed put to death in flesh, but brought to life by that spirit with 19 which he went, and to the spirits which are [now] in prison 20 made proclamation at the time they were disobedient-when the long suffering of God was waiting once for all in the days of Noe, while the ark was a building, in which a few, that is 21 eight souls, made their escape during the flood; an antitype to which, namely baptism, (not a removal of the filth of the flesh, but an earnest conscientious application to God) doth now save us also, by means of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who, having gone to heaven, is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him. IV. Christ therefore having suffered in flesh for us, arm ye 2 yourselves with this reflection, that he who hath suffered in flesh hath been stopped from sin, to the end that he may no ‡ Literally, a request or application of a good conscience. longer live the rest of his time in flesh for the lusts of men; 3 but for the will of God. For the past time of this life sufficeth* to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, walking in lascivi4 ousness, inordinate desires, excess of wine, revels, carouses, and abominable idolatries; at this they are surprized; and when you do not run with them into the same sink of de5 bauchery, they rail. They shall give an account to him who 6 is prepared to judge living and dead. For to this end also the gospel was proclaimed to the dead, that judged as they might be according to men in flesh, they might live according to God in spirit. 7 Now the end of all things is at hand, therefore be sober, 8 and watch unto prayer, and above all things have fervent love 9 for one another: for this love will cover a multitude of sins. 10 Be hospitable to one another without grudging. According as every one hath received a free gift continue dispensing it to each other as good stewards of the manifold grace of God 11 —if any one speaketh, as speaking the oracles of God; if any one dispenseth, as dispensing out of a stock which God supplieth; that in all things God may be gloried through Jesus Christ, to whom belongeth the glory and the power, for the ages of the ages. Amen. 12 Beloved, be not surprized at the fiery trial among you, 13 which is come upon you to try you, as if some strange thing had befallen you: but inasmuch as you partake of the sufferings of the Christ, rejoice; that at the manifestation of his glory 14 you may indeed rejoice with exceeding great joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ you are happy; because the spirit of the glory, even the spirit of God resteth on you. On 15 their part indeed it is reviled, but on your part it is glorified. 16 For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or a malefactor, or as a usurper of authority; and if as a Christian, 17 let him not be ashamed, but glorify God in this respect. For the time is come when judgment is to begin at the house of God. And if it begin first with us, what must be the end of 18 them who disregard the glad tidings of God? "If the right *Some copies have us, and some you, and some neither. eous scarcely escapeth, where shall the ungodly and sinner ap19 pear?"* Let them therefore who suffer according to the will of God, commit their souls to him in well doing, as to a faithful creator. V. With regard to the elders among you, being myself a fel low elder, and a witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and a partaker of the glory about to be revealed, I give them this 2 exhortation-Tend the flock of God which is among you, watching over it, not by constraint, but willingly; not with a 3 view to sordid gain, but with a ready mind; not as exercising 4 dominion over the lots, but as being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive an unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise ye who are young, submit to those more advanced in years. And being all submissive to one another; adorn yourselves with humility; because "God resisteth the 6 proud and granteth favour to the humble;"+ therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may in 7 due time exalt you. Having cast all your care upon him, for 8 he careth for you, be sober, be watchful: because your ad versary the devil is walking about, like a roaring lion, seek9 ing whom he may devour, him you should resist, standing firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are undergone by your brotherhood in the world. 10 Now may the God of all favour, who hath invited us to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, when we have suffered a little-may he himself fit, support, strengthen and establish 11 you! To him be the glory and the power, for the ages of the ages. Amen. 12 13 14 By Sylvanus the faithful brother I have, as I reckon, written briefly to you, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true favour of God for which you stand up. The congregation at Babylon salute you. So doth Marcus my son. Salute one another with a holy kiss. Peace be with you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen. THE SECOND EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLE PETER. I. SIMON PETER, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them who have obtained a like precious belief with us, in the 2 saving goodness of our God and saviour Jesus Christ, favour be to you, and may peace be multiplied by an acknowledgment of God, and of Jesus our Lord. 3 As his divine power hath freely granted those things conducive to life and godliness, and all are ours by our acknow4 ledging him who hath called us by glory and virtue, through which he hath freely made us very great and precious promises, that by them you may become partakers of a divine na5 ture when you have fled from the corruption which is in the world by lust; therefore, having on your part used all diligence for the very same purpose, add to your faith fortitude; 6 and to fortitude, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; 7 and to temperance, perseverance; and to perseverance, piety; and to piety, brotherly affection; and to brotherly affection, 8 universal love; for these being in you, and abounding, dispose you to be neither idle nor unfruitful for the acknowledg9 ing of our Lord Jesus Christ: for he who is without these is blind, having closed his eyes, having contracted a forgetful10 ness of the purification of his past sins. Therefore, brethren, use the more diligence to make your call and election sure; for if you practise these you will never fall; for thus there 11 will further be administered to you, bounteously, the entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus 12 Christ. For this purpose I will not neglect to put you always in mind of these things, though you already know them, and 13 are established in the present truth. Indeed I think it right, 14 as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by admoni tion; as I know that I must soon lay aside this tabernacle of 15 mine, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath plainly shewed me; and I will use all diligence that you may be able, every one 16 of you, to recollect these things after my departure. For we indeed did not follow artfully contrived fables when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus 17 Christ; but were ourselves eye witnesses of his majesty. For he was receiving honour and glory from God the Father, when a voice was uttered to him, from the transcendent glory, "This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I am well pleased." 18 This voice we ourselves actually heard uttered from heaven, 19 when we were with him on the holy mountain. Therefore we have a more complete confirmation of the prophetic word, to which you do well in giving attention, as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawn, and the bringer of light 20 rise in your hearts-knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture explaineth itself,* for prophecy was not uttered in former days at the will of man; but the holy men of God spoke by an impulse of the holy spirit. II. Now there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be also among you false teachers, who will introduce destructive sects, denying even the Lord who bought them, 2 bringing on themselves speedy destruction. And many will follow their pernicious courses, on the account of whom the 3 way of the truth will be ill spoken of. Indeed, with insatiable covetousness, they will, with smooth words, make merchandize of you. But the judgment prepared of old for them is 4 not idle, nor is their destruction slumbering. For if God spared not angels who sinned, but confining them in Tartarus,† in * Literally for every prophecy &c. is not of its own solution. Tartarus among the ancient Grecians, was considered as the place for the wicked after death. Their philosophers described it as a condensed, solid and immoveable darkness surrounding the material universe. But as the earth was commonly supposed to be a plain of immeasurable depth, the poets, accommodating their language to the common opinion, describe it as a vast pit or gulph, |