(21)Little children, keep yourselves from the idols.
THE SECOND LETTER OF JOHN.
THE elder to the elect lady, and to her children, whom I love in truth,--and not I alone but also all that know the truth,--(2)for the sake of the truth, which abides in us, and will be with us forever: (3)Grace, mercy, peace, shall be with you, from G.o.d the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
(4)I rejoiced greatly, that I have found of thy children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. (5)And now I beseech thee, lady, not as writing to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. (6)And this is love, that we walk according to his commandment; and this is the commandment, as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it. (7)Because many deceivers went out into the world, who acknowledge not that Jesus Christ comes in the flesh. This is the deceiver, and the antichrist.
(8)Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we wrought, but receive a full reward. (9)Every one who transgresses, and abides not[1:8] in the teaching of Christ, has not G.o.d. He that abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son.
(10)If any one comes to you, and brings not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and do not bid him good speed; (11)for he that bids him good speed shares in his evil deeds.
(12)Having many things to write to you, I would not [write] with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you, and to speak face to face, that our joy may be full. (13)The children of thy elect sister salute thee.
THE THIRD LETTER OF JOHN.
THE elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.
(2)Beloved, concerning all things I pray that thou mayest prosper and be in health, as thy soul prospers. (3)For I rejoiced greatly, when brethren came and bore witness to thy truth, as thou walkest in the truth. (4)I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.
(5)Beloved, thou doest a faithful thing, in whatever thou doest to the brethren, and that to strangers, (6)who bore witness to thy love before the church; whom if thou send forward on their journey worthily of G.o.d, thou wilt do well; (7)for on behalf of the NAME they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles. (8)We therefore ought to sustain such persons, that we may become fellow-workers for the truth.
(9)I wrote somewhat to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to have the pre-eminence among them, receives us not. (10)Therefore, if I come, I will bring to remembrance his deeds which he does, prating against us with evil words. And not content therewith, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and those who are willing he forbids, and casts them out of the church.
(11)Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He that does good, is of G.o.d; he that does evil, has not seen G.o.d.
(12)To Demetrius, testimony has been borne by all, and by the truth itself; yea, we also bear witness, and thou knowest that our witness is true.
(13)I had many things to write to thee, but I wish not to write to thee with ink and pen; (14)but I hope immediately to see thee, and we shall speak face to face.
Peace be to thee. The friends salute thee. Salute the friends, by name.
THE GENERAL LETTER OF JUDE.
JUDE, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to the called, beloved in G.o.d the Father, and kept by Jesus Christ[1:1]: (2)Mercy, and peace, and love, be multiplied to you.
(3)Beloved, while giving all diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, I found it needful for me to write to you exhorting to contend earnestly for the faith, delivered once for all to the saints. (4)For there crept in stealthily certain men, who of old were appointed beforehand to this condemnation, unG.o.dly men, turning the grace of our G.o.d into wantonness, and denying the only Master, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
(5)But I wish to remind you, as once knowing all, that Jesus, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who believed not. (6)And angels who kept not their princ.i.p.ality, but left their own habitation, he has kept in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. (7)As Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them, in like manner with them giving themselves over to fornication, and going away after other flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
(8)Yet, in like manner, these also in their dreamings defile the flesh, despise dominion, and rail at dignities. (9)But Michael the archangel, when, contending with the Devil, he disputed concerning the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a railing judgment, but said: The Lord rebuke thee. (10)But these rail at the things which they know not; but what things naturally, as the brute beasts, they understand, in these they corrupt themselves.
(11)Woe to them! For they went in the way of Cain, and rushed on in the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah.
(12)These are rocks in your feasts of love, feasting with you fearlessly, feeding their own selves; clouds without water, carried away by winds; autumnal trees, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (13)raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved forever.
(14)Yea, and of these Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied, saying: Behold, the Lord came, with his holy myriads. (15)to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the unG.o.dly among them of all their acts of unG.o.dliness which they committed, and of all the hard things which unG.o.dly sinners spoke against him.
(16)These are murmurers, complaining of their lot, walking according to their l.u.s.ts; and their mouth speaks swelling words; having respect to persons, for the sake of profit.
(17)But ye, beloved, remember the words which were before spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; (18)that they told you, that at the last of the time there will be scoffers, walking after their own l.u.s.ts of unG.o.dliness. (19)These are they who separate; sensual, having not the Spirit. (20)But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, (21)keep yourselves in the love of G.o.d, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life.
(22)And some refute when they are contending; but others save, s.n.a.t.c.hing them out of the fire; (23)and others compa.s.sionate with fear, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
(24)Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; (25)to the only G.o.d our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, before all time, and now, and forever. Amen.
THE REVELATION.
I.
THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, which G.o.d gave to him, to show to his servants what things must shortly come to pa.s.s; and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John; (2)who testified of the word of G.o.d and the testimony of Jesus Christ, of whatever things he saw. (3)Happy he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep the things written therein; for the time is at hand.
(4)John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you, and peace, from him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven spirits that are before his throne; (5)and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the Ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, (6)and made us a kingdom, priests to G.o.d and his Father, to him be the glory, and the dominion, forever and ever. Amen.
(7)Behold, he comes amidst the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
(8)I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord G.o.d, he who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.
(9)I, John, your brother, and partner with you in the affliction, and kingdom, and patient endurance in Jesus, was in the island called Patmos, on account of the word of G.o.d and the testimony of Jesus.
(10)I was in the Spirit on the Lord"s day; and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, (11)saying: What thou seest, write in a book, and send to the seven churches; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
(12)And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lamp-stands; (13)and in the midst of the lamp-stands one like to the Son of Man, clothed with a garment falling down to the feet, and girded round at the b.r.e.a.s.t.s with a golden girdle. (14)But his head and his hairs were white, as white wool, as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; (15)and his feet were like to burnished bra.s.s, as if burning in a furnace[1:15]; and his voice was as the sound of many waters. (16)And he had in his hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and his countenance was as the sun shining in his strength.
(17)And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand on me, saying: Fear not: I am the first and the last, (18)and the living one; and I became dead, and behold I am alive forevermore; and I have the keys of death and of the underworld.
(19)Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall be after these; (20)the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest on my right hand, and the seven golden lamp-stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven lamp-stands are the seven churches.
II.
TO the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp-stands. (2)I know thy works, and thy labor and patience, and how thou canst not bear evil men; and thou didst try those who say they are apostles, and are not, and didst find them liars; (3)and thou hast patience, and didst bear for my name"s sake, and hast not been weary.
(4)But I have this against thee, that thou hast left thy first love.
(5)Remember therefore from whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works; but if not, I am coming to thee, and will remove thy lamp-stand out of its place, if thou repent not.
(6)But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.