Book 61        2 Peter

61:001:001 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them
           that have obtained like precious faith with us through the
           righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

61:001:002 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge
           of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

61:001:003 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things
           that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of
           him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

61:001:004 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious
           promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine
           nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world
           through lust.

61:001:005 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith
           virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

61:001:006 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and
           to patience godliness;

61:001:007 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness
           charity.

61:001:008 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that
           ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of
           our Lord Jesus Christ.

61:001:009 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar
           off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

61:001:010 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
           calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall
           never fall:

61:001:011 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly
           into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
           Christ.

61:001:012 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in
           remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be
           established in the present truth.

61:001:013 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to
           stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

61:001:014 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even
           as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

61:001:015 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease
           to have these things always in remembrance.

61:001:016 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we
           made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
           Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

61:001:017 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when
           there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This
           is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

61:001:018 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were
           with him in the holy mount.

61:001:019 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do
           well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark
           place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your
           hearts:

61:001:020 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of
           any private interpretation.

61:001:021 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but
           holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

61:002:001 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as
           there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall
           bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
           them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

61:002:002 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom
           the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

61:002:003 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make
           merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time
           lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

61:002:004 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them
           down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to
           be reserved unto judgment;

61:002:005 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth
           person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood
           upon the world of the ungodly;

61:002:006 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes
           condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto
           those that after should live ungodly;

61:002:007 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of
           the wicked:

61:002:008 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and
           hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their
           unlawful deeds;)

61:002:009 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations,
           and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be
           punished:

61:002:010 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of
           uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they,
           selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

61:002:011 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring
           not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

61:002:012 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and
           destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not;
           and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

61:002:013 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that
           count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and
           blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while
           they feast with you;

61:002:014 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin;
           beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with
           covetous practices; cursed children:

61:002:015 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray,
           following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the
           wages of unrighteousness;

61:002:016 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with
           man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

61:002:017 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a
           tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

61:002:018 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they
           allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much
           wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live
           in error.

61:002:019 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the
           servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the
           same is he brought in bondage.

61:002:020 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world
           through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
           they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end
           is worse with them than the beginning.

61:002:021 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
           righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from
           the holy commandment delivered unto them.

61:002:022 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb,
           The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was
           washed to her wallowing in the mire.

61:003:001 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both
           which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

61:003:002 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before
           by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the
           apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

61:003:003 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days
           scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

61:003:004 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the
           fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
           beginning of the creation.

61:003:005 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of
           God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the
           water and in the water:

61:003:006 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water,
           perished:

61:003:007 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word
           are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of
           judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

61:003:008 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day
           is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as
           one day.

61:003:009 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men
           count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing
           that any should perish, but that all should come to
           repentance.

61:003:010 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in
           the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
           the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and
           the works that are therein shall be burned up.

61:003:011 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what
           manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and
           godliness,

61:003:012 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God,
           wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the
           elements shall melt with fervent heat?

61:003:013 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new
           heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

61:003:014 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be
           diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot,
           and blameless.

61:003:015 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
           even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom
           given unto him hath written unto you;

61:003:016 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things;
           in which are some things hard to be understood, which they
           that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the
           other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

61:003:017 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before,
           beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the
           wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

61:003:018 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and
           Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever.
           Amen.