Bible in 90 Days
The Wisdom from Above
13 Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness.(A) 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth.(B) 15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.(C) 16 For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy.(D) 18 And the fruit of righteousness(E) is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
Proud or Humble
4 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings(F) that are at war within you?[a] 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires.(G)
4 Adulteresses![b][c] Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy.(H) 5 Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously?[d](I)
6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says:
7 Therefore, submit to God. But resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.(K) 8 Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!(L) 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow.(M) 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.
11 Don’t criticize one another, brothers. He who criticizes a brother or judges his brother criticizes the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.(N) 12 There is one lawgiver and judge[f] who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?(O)
Our Will and His Will
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.”(P) 14 You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.(Q)
15 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.(R) 17 So it is a sin for the person who knows to do what is good and doesn’t do it.(S)
Warning to the Rich
5 Come now, you rich(T) people! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming on you. 2 Your wealth is ruined and your clothes are moth-eaten.(U) 3 Your silver and gold are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You stored up treasure in the last days!(V) 4 Look! The pay that you withheld from the workers(W) who reaped your fields cries out, and the outcry of the harvesters has reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts.[g](X) 5 You have lived luxuriously on the land and have indulged yourselves. You have fattened your hearts(Y) for[h] the day of slaughter.(Z) 6 You have condemned—you have murdered—the righteous man; he does not resist you.(AA)
Waiting for the Lord
7 Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.(AB) 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.(AC)
9 Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!(AD)
10 Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. 11 See, we count as blessed those who have endured.[i] You have heard of Job’s endurance(AE) and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.(AF)
Truthful Speech
12 Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.(AG) Your “yes” must be “yes,” and your “no” must be “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.[j]
Effective Prayer
13 Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.(AH) 14 Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray over him after anointing him with olive oil in the name of the Lord.(AI) 15 The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will restore him to health; if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.(AJ) 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.(AK) 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.(AL) 18 Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit.(AM)
19 My brothers, if any among you strays from the truth,(AN) and someone turns him back,(AO) 20 let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his life from death and cover a multitude of sins.(AP)
Greeting
1 Peter,(AQ) an apostle of Jesus Christ:
To the temporary residents(AR) dispersed[k](AS) in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,(AT) chosen(AU) 2 according to the foreknowledge(AV) of God the Father and set apart by the Spirit(AW) for obedience(AX) and for sprinkling with the blood(AY) of Jesus Christ.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
A Living Hope
3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.(AZ) According to His great mercy,(BA) He has given us a new birth(BB) into a living hope(BC) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead(BD) 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable,(BE) uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven(BF) for you. 5 You are being protected by God’s power(BG) through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.(BH) 6 You rejoice in this,[l] though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials(BI) 7 so that the genuineness of your faith(BJ)—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire(BK)—may result(BL) in[m] praise, glory, and honor(BM) at the revelation of Jesus Christ.(BN) 8 You love Him,(BO) though you have not seen(BP) Him. And though not seeing Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice(BQ) with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your[n] faith, the salvation of your souls.[o]
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets(BR) who prophesied about the grace that would come to you searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances[p] the Spirit of Christ(BS) within them was indicating when He testified in advance(BT) to the messianic sufferings[q](BU) and the glories(BV) that would follow.[r] 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you(BW) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.(BX) Angels desire to look into these things.
A Call to Holy Living
13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action,[s](BY) be serious(BZ) and set your hope(CA) completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation(CB) of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children,(CC) do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you(CD) is holy,(CE) you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.(CF)[t]
17 And if you address as Father the One who judges impartially(CG) based on each one’s work,(CH) you are to conduct yourselves in fear(CI) during the time of your temporary residence. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life(CJ) inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold,(CK) 19 but with the precious blood of Christ,(CL) like that of a lamb(CM) without defect or blemish. 20 He was chosen[u](CN) before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the times(CO) for you 21 who through Him are believers in God,(CP) who raised Him from the dead(CQ) and gave Him glory,(CR) so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 By obedience to the truth,[v] having purified yourselves[w] for sincere love of the brothers, love one another(CS) earnestly[x] from a pure[y] heart,(CT) 23 since you have been born again(CU)—not of perishable seed(CV) but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.(CW) 24 For
All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory(CX) like a flower of the grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.(CY)[z]
And this is the word that was preached as the gospel to you.
The Living Stone and a Holy People
2 So rid yourselves of(CZ) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.(DA) 2 Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk,(DB) so that you may grow by it for your salvation,[aa] 3 since you have tasted(DC) that the Lord is good.(DD)[ab] 4 Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God(DE) through Jesus Christ. 6 For it is contained in Scripture:
Look! I lay a stone in Zion,(DF)
a chosen and honored[ac] cornerstone,[ad](DG)
and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame[af]
7 So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving,
8 and
They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined(DK) for this.
9 But you are a chosen race,[ak](DL)[al] a royal priesthood,(DM)[am]
a holy nation,(DN)[an] a people for His possession,(DO)[ao]
so that you may proclaim the praises[ap](DP)[aq]
of the One who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.(DQ)
10 Once you were not a people,
but now you are God’s people;
you had not received mercy,(DR)
but now you have received mercy.
A Call to Good Works
11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents(DS) to abstain(DT) from fleshly(DU) desires that war against you.[ar](DV) 12 Conduct(DW) yourselves honorably among the Gentiles,[as] so that in a case where they speak against you as those who do what is evil, they will, by observing your good works, glorify God on the day of visitation.[at](DX)
13 Submit(DY) to every human authority[au] because of the Lord, whether to the Emperor[av] as the supreme authority(DZ) 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will(EA) that you silence the ignorance(EB) of foolish people by doing good. 16 As God’s slaves,(EC) live as free people, but don’t use your freedom as a way to conceal evil.(ED) 17 Honor everyone. Love(EE) the brotherhood.(EF) Fear God.(EG) Honor the Emperor.[aw]
Submission of Slaves to Masters
18 Household slaves, submit with all fear(EH) to your masters,(EI) not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel.[ax](EJ) 19 For it brings favor[ay] if, mindful of God’s will,[az][ba] someone endures grief from suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if you sin and are punished, and you endure it? But when you do what is good and suffer,(EK) if you endure it, this brings favor with God.
21 For you were called to this,
because Christ also suffered(EL) for you,
leaving you an example,(EM)
so that you should follow(EN) in His steps.
22 He did not commit sin,(EO)
and no deceit(EP) was found in His mouth;(EQ)[bb]
23 when He was reviled,
He did not revile in return;
when He was suffering,
He did not threaten
but entrusted Himself to the One who judges(ER) justly.
24 He Himself bore our sins(ES)
in His body(ET) on the tree,(EU)
so that, having died to sins,(EV)
we might live for righteousness;(EW)
you have been healed by His wounds.(EX)[bc]
25 For you were like sheep going astray,(EY)[bd]
but you have now returned
to the Shepherd(EZ) and Guardian[be] of your souls.
Wives and Husbands
3 In the same way, wives,(FA) submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, even if some disobey the Christian message,(FB) they may be won over[bf](FC) without a message by the way their wives live(FD) 2 when they observe your pure, reverent lives.(FE) 3 Your beauty should not consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold ornaments[bg] or fine clothes.(FF) 4 Instead, it should consist of what is inside[bh] the heart(FG) with the imperishable quality of a gentle(FH) and quiet(FI) spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes. 5 For in the past, the holy(FJ) women who put their hope(FK) in God also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands, 6 just as Sarah(FL) obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You have become her children when you do what is good and are not frightened by anything alarming.(FM)
7 Husbands,(FN) in the same way, live with your wives with an understanding of their weaker nature[bi](FO) yet showing them honor as coheirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
Do No Evil
8 Now finally, all of you should be like-minded and sympathetic, should love believers,[bj](FP) and be compassionate(FQ) and humble,[bk] 9 not paying back evil for evil(FR) or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing,(FS) since you were called for this, so that you can inherit a blessing.
10 For the(FT) one who wants to love life
and to see good days
must keep his tongue from evil(FU)
and his lips from speaking deceit,(FV)
11 and he must turn away(FW) from evil
and do what is good.
He must seek peace(FX) and pursue it,
12 because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and His ears are open to their request.
But the face of the Lord is against
those who do what is evil.[bl]
Undeserved Suffering
13 And who will harm[bm] you if you are deeply committed to what is good?[bn] 14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness,(FY) you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear(FZ) or be disturbed,(GA)[bo] 15 but honor[bp] the Messiah[bq] as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason[br] for the hope that is in you.(GB) 16 However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear,[bs][bt](GC) so that when you are accused,[bu] those who denounce your Christian life[bv] will be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer(GD) for doing good, if that should be God’s will,[bw] than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also suffered(GE) for sins once for all,[bx](GF)
the righteous for the unrighteous,[by]
that He might bring you[bz] to God,(GG)
after being put to death in the fleshly realm[ca](GH)
but made alive in the spiritual realm.[cb]
19 In that state[cc] He also went and made a proclamation to the spirits(GI) in prison[cd] 20 who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah(GJ) while an ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people[ce](GK)—were saved through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not the removal of the filth of the flesh,(GL) but the pledge[cf] of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.(GM) 22 Now that He has gone into heaven,(GN) He is at God’s right hand(GO) with angels, authorities, and powers subject to Him.(GP)
Following Christ
4 Therefore, since Christ suffered[cg] in the flesh,[ch] equip[ci] yourselves also with the same resolve[cj]—because the one who suffered in the flesh has finished(GQ) with sin[ck]— 2 in order to live the remaining time in the flesh, no longer for human desires,[cl] but for God’s will.(GR) 3 For there has already been enough time spent in doing what the pagans choose to do:[cm] carrying on in unrestrained behavior, evil desires,(GS) drunkenness, orgies,(GT) carousing, and lawless idolatry. 4 So they are surprised that you don’t plunge with them into the same flood[cn] of wild living—and they slander you. 5 They will give an account to the One who stands ready to judge the living and the dead.(GU) 6 For this reason the gospel was also preached to those who are now dead,(GV) so that, although they might be judged by men in the fleshly(GW) realm,[co] they might live(GX) by God in the spiritual realm.[cp]
End-Time Ethics
7 Now the end of all things is near;(GY) therefore, be serious and disciplined(GZ) for prayer. 8 Above all, maintain an intense love(HA) for each other, since love covers a multitude of sins.(HB)[cq] 9 Be hospitable(HC) to one another without complaining. 10 Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others,(HD) as good managers of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides,(HE) so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Christian Suffering
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal[cr] comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you.(HF) 13 Instead, rejoice as you share in the sufferings of the Messiah,(HG) so that you may also rejoice with great joy at the revelation(HH) of His glory. 14 If you are ridiculed for the name of Christ,(HI) you are blessed, because the Spirit(HJ) of glory and of God rests on you.[cs] 15 None of you, however, should suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or a meddler.[ct] 16 But if anyone suffers as a “Christian,” he should not be ashamed but should glorify God in having that name. 17 For the time has come for judgment(HK) to begin with God’s household,(HL) and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who disobey the gospel of God?
18 And if a righteous person is saved with difficulty,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?(HM)[cu]
19 So those who suffer according to God’s will should, while doing what is good, entrust themselves(HN) to a faithful Creator.
About the Elders
5 Therefore, as a fellow elder and witness(HO) to the sufferings of the Messiah and also a participant in the glory about to be revealed,(HP) I exhort the elders among you: 2 Shepherd God’s flock among you,(HQ) not overseeing[cv] out of compulsion but freely, according to God’s will;[cw] not for the money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd(HR) appears, you will receive the unfading crown(HS) of glory.
5 In the same way, you younger men, be subject to the elders. And all of you clothe yourselves with[cx] humility toward one another, because
6 Humble(HU) yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand(HV) of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time,[cz] 7 casting all your care on Him, because He cares about you.(HW)
Conclusion
8 Be serious!(HX) Be alert!(HY) Your adversary the Devil(HZ) is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him(IA) and be firm in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
10 Now the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory(IB) in Christ Jesus, will personally[da] restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little.[db] 11 The dominion[dc] belongs to Him forever.[dd] Amen.
12 I have written you this brief letter through Silvanus[de](IC) (I know him to be a faithful brother) to encourage you and to testify that this is the true grace of God. Take your stand in it! 13 The church in Babylon,[df](ID) also chosen, sends you greetings, as does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.(IE) Peace(IF) to all of you who are in Christ.[dg]
Greeting
1 Simeon[dh] Peter,(IG) a slave and an apostle(IH) of Jesus Christ:
To those who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with ours[di] through the righteousness(II) of our God and Savior(IJ) Jesus Christ.
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God(IK) and of Jesus our Lord.
Growth in the Faith
3 His[dj] divine power(IL) has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge(IM) of Him who called(IN) us by[dk] His own glory and goodness. 4 By these He has given us very great and precious promises,(IO) so that through them you may share in the divine nature,(IP) escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control,(IQ) self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection,(IR) and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless(IS) or unfruitful(IT) in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election,(IU) because if you do these things you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom(IV) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you.
12 Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth(IW) you have. 13 I consider it right, as long as I am in this bodily tent,[dl](IX) to wake you up with a reminder, 14 knowing that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has also shown me.(IY) 15 And I will also make every effort that you may be able to recall these things at any time after my departure.[dm]
The Trustworthy Prophetic Word
16 For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;(IZ) instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.(JA) 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory:
18 And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain.(JC) 19 So we have the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place,(JD) until the day dawns(JE) and the morning star(JF) rises in your hearts. 20 First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man;(JG) instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.(JH)
The Judgment of False Teachers
2 But there were also false prophets(JI) among the people, just as there will be false teachers(JJ) among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought(JK) them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and the way of truth will be blasphemed because of them.(JL) 3 They will exploit(JM) you in their greed(JN) with deceptive words. Their condemnation,(JO) pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.
4 For if God didn’t spare(JP) the angels who sinned but threw them down into Tartarus[dp](JQ) and delivered them to be kept in chains[dq] of darkness until judgment;(JR) 5 and if He didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah,(JS) a preacher of righteousness, and seven others,[dr](JT) when He brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah(JU) to ashes and condemned them to ruin,[ds] making them an example to those who were going to be ungodly;[dt](JV) 7 and if He rescued righteous Lot,(JW) distressed by the unrestrained behavior of the immoral 8 (for as he lived among them, that righteous man tormented himself day by day with the lawless deeds he saw and heard(JX))— 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue(JY) the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,(JZ) 10 especially those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority.(KA)
Bold, arrogant people! They do not tremble when they blaspheme the glorious ones; 11 however, angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring a slanderous charge against them before the Lord.[du] 12 But these people, like irrational animals—creatures of instinct born to be caught and destroyed—speak blasphemies about things they don’t understand, and in their destruction they too will be destroyed, 13 suffering harm as the payment for unrighteousness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, delighting in their deceptions[dv] as they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery(KB) and are always looking for sin. They seduce unstable people and have hearts trained in greed. Children under a curse!(KC) 15 They have gone astray by abandoning the straight path(KD) and have followed the path of Balaam,(KE) the son of Bosor,[dw] who loved the wages of unrighteousness(KF) 16 but received a rebuke for his transgression: A donkey that could not talk spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s irrationality.(KG)
17 These people are springs without water, mists driven by a whirlwind. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them.(KH) 18 For by uttering boastful, empty words,(KI) they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped[dx] from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.(KJ) 20 For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,(KK) they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first.(KL) 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness(KM) than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command(KN) delivered(KO) to them.(KP) 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit,(KQ)[dy] and, “a sow, after washing itself, wallows in the mud.”
The Day of the Lord
3 Dear friends, this is now the second letter(KR) I have written to you; in both letters, I want to develop a genuine(KS) understanding with a reminder, 2 so that you can remember the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. 3 First, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days(KT) to scoff, living according to their own desires, 4 saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?(KU) Ever since the fathers fell asleep,(KV) all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” 5 They willfully ignore this: Long ago the heavens and the earth were brought about from water and through water(KW) by the word of God.(KX) 6 Through these waters the world of that time perished when it was flooded.(KY) 7 But by the same word,(KZ) the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment(LA) and destruction of ungodly men.
8 Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.(LB) 9 The Lord does not delay His promise,(LC) as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any(LD) to perish(LE) but all to come to repentance.(LF)
10 But the Day of the Lord(LG) will come like a thief;[dz](LH) on that day the heavens will pass away(LI) with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved,(LJ) and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.[ea] 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness 12 as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming[eb] of the day of God.(LK) The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat. 13 But based on His promise, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth,(LL) where righteousness will dwell.(LM)
Conclusion
14 Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found at peace with Him without spot or blemish.(LN) 15 Also, regard the patience of our Lord as an opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him.(LO) 16 He speaks about these things in all his letters in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction,(LP) as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard,(LQ) so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge(LR) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.[ec](LS) Amen.[ed]
Prologue: Our Declaration
1 What was from the beginning,(LT)
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we have observed
and have touched with our hands,
concerning the Word(LU) of life—
2 that life was revealed,(LV)
and we have seen it
and we testify and declare to you
the eternal life that was with the Father
and was revealed to us(LW)—
3 what we have seen and heard
we also declare to you,
so that you may have fellowship(LX) along with us;
and indeed our fellowship is with the Father(LY)
and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 We are writing these things[ee]
so that our[ef] joy(LZ) may be complete.
Fellowship with God
5 Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light,(MA) and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.(MB) 6 If we say, “We have fellowship(MC) with Him,” yet we walk in darkness,(MD) we are lying and are not practicing[eg] the truth.(ME) 7 But if we walk in the light(MF) as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus(MG) His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, “We have no sin,”(MH) we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive(MI) us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His word(MJ) is not in us.(MK)
2 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate(ML) with the Father—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the propitiation(MM) for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.(MN)
God’s Commands
3 This is how we are sure(MO) that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands.(MP) 4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” yet doesn't keep His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word,(MQ) truly in him the love of God is perfected.[eh] This is how we know we are in Him:(MR) 6 The one who says he remains in Him(MS) should walk just as He walked.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command(MT) but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the message(MU) you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away(MV) and the true light(MW) is already shining.(MX)
9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother(MY) is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother(MZ) remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.[ei] 11 But the one who hates his brother(NA) is in the darkness, walks in the darkness,(NB) and doesn’t know where he’s going,(NC) because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Reasons for Writing
12 I am writing to you, little children,
because your sins have been forgiven
because of Jesus’ name.(ND)
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you have come to know
the One who is from the beginning.(NE)
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have had victory over the evil one.(NF)
14 I have written to you, children,
because you have come to know the Father.
I have written to you, fathers,
because you have come to know
the One who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong,
God’s word(NG) remains in you,
and you have had victory over the evil one.
A Warning about the World
15 Do not love the world(NH) or the things that belong to[ej] the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. 16 For everything that belongs to[ek] the world—the lust of the flesh,(NI) the lust of the eyes,(NJ) and the pride(NK) in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away,(NL) but the one who does God’s will(NM) remains forever.(NN)
The Last Hour
18 Children, it is the last hour.(NO) And as you have heard, “Antichrist(NP) is coming,” even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.
20 But you have an anointing(NQ) from the Holy One,(NR) and all of you have knowledge.[el] 21 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Messiah?(NS) This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son can have the Father;(NT) he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.(NU)
Remaining with God
24 What you have heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son(NV) and in the Father.(NW) 25 And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.(NX) 26 I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
27 The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things(NY) and is true and is not a lie; just as He has taught you, remain in Him.(NZ)
God’s Children
28 So now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears(OA) we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.(OB) 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right(OC) has been born of Him.(OD) 3 1 Look at how great a love[em] the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.(OE) We know that when He appears, we will be like Him(OF) because we will see Him as He is.(OG) 3 And everyone who has this hope(OH) in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.(OI)
4 Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law;[en] sin is the breaking of law. 5 You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins,[eo](OJ) and there is no sin in Him.(OK) 6 Everyone who remains in Him(OL) does not sin;[ep](OM) everyone who[eq] sins has not seen Him or known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 The one who commits[er] sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God(ON) was revealed(OO) for this purpose: to destroy the Devil’s works. 9 Everyone who has been born of God(OP) does not sin,[es] because His[et] seed(OQ) remains in him; he is not able to sin,[eu] because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children—and the Devil’s children—are made evident.
The Command to Love
Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.(OR) 11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, 12 unlike Cain,(OS) who was of the evil one(OT) and murdered[ev] his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates(OU) you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.(OV) 15 Everyone who hates his brother(OW) is a murderer,(OX) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
Love in Action
16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life(OY) for us.(OZ) We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.(PA) 17 If anyone has this world’s goods(PB) and sees his brother in need(PC) but closes his eyes(PD) to his need—how can God’s love reside in him?(PE)
18 Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.(PF) 19 This is how we will know we belong to the truth(PG) and will convince our conscience in His presence, 20 even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things.(PH)
21 Dear friends, if our conscience doesn’t condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands(PI) and do what is pleasing in His sight. 23 Now this is His command: that we believe in the name(PJ) of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. 24 The one who keeps His commands remains in Him,(PK) and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us(PL) is from the Spirit(PM) He has given us.
The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error
4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits(PN) to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has[ew] come in the flesh(PO) is from God.(PP) 3 But every spirit who does not confess Jesus[ex] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist;(PQ) you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now.
4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you(PR) is greater than the one who is in the world.(PS) 5 They are from the world.(PT) Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us;(PU) anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.(PV)
Knowing God through Love
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God(PW) and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way:[ey] God sent(PX) His One and Only Son(PY) into the world so that we might live(PZ) through Him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us(QA) and sent His Son to be the[ez] propitiation(QB) for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.(QC) 12 No one has ever seen God.[fa](QD) If we love one another, God remains in[fb] us and His love is perfected in us.
13 This is how we know that we remain in Him(QE) and He in us: He has given assurance to us from His Spirit.(QF) 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son(QG) as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses[fc](QH) that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
17 In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment,(QI) for we are as He is in this world.(QJ) 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,(QK) because fear involves punishment.[fd] So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.(QL) 19 We love[fe] because He first loved us.(QM)
Keeping God’s Commands
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother,(QN) he is a liar.(QO) For the person who does not love his brother(QP) he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen.[ff] 21 And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother.
5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born of God,(QQ) and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey[fg] His commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,(QR) 4 because whatever has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 And who is the one who conquers the world(QS) but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?(QT)
The Certainty of God’s Testimony
6 Jesus Christ—He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water(QU) and by blood.(QV) And the Spirit is the One who testifies,(QW) because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify:[fh](QX) 8 the Spirit,(QY) the water, and the blood(QZ)—and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept the testimony of men, God’s testimony(RA) is greater, because it is God’s testimony that He has given about His Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar,(RB) because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 The one who has the Son has life.(RC) The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name(RD) of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Effective Prayer
14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask(RE) anything according to His will, He hears us.(RF) 15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask,(RG) we know that we have what we have asked Him for.(RH)
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not bring death, he should ask, and God[fi] will give life to him—to those who commit sin that doesn’t bring death. There is sin[fj] that brings death. I am not saying he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that does not bring death.
Conclusion
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One[fk] who is born of God keeps him,[fl][fm](RI) and the evil one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come(RJ) and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One.[fn] We are in the true One—that is, in His Son Jesus Christ.(RK) He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Greeting
The Elder:[fo]
To the elect(RL) lady[fp] and her children: I love all of you in the truth—and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth(RM)— 2 because of the truth that remains in us(RN) and will be with us forever.
3 Grace, mercy, and peace(RO) will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son(RP) of the Father, in truth and love.(RQ)
Truth and Deception
4 I was very glad to find some of your children walking in the truth,(RR) in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. 5 So now I urge you, dear lady—not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.(RS) 6 And this is love:(RT) that we walk according to His commands.(RU) This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love.[fq]
7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.[fr](RV) This is the deceiver and the antichrist.(RW) 8 Watch yourselves so you don’t lose what we[fs] have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.(RX) 9 Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching(RY) but goes beyond it, does not have God.(RZ) The one who remains(SA) in that teaching, this one has both the Father(SB) and the Son.(SC) 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive(SD) him into your home, and don’t say, “Welcome,” to him; 11 for the one who says, “Welcome,” to him shares(SE) in his evil works.(SF)
Farewell
12 Though I have many things to write to you,(SG) I don’t want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face[ft] so that our joy(SH) may be complete.
13 The children of your elect sister send you greetings.
Greeting
The Elder:(SI)
To my dear friend[fu] Gaius: I love you in the truth.(SJ)
2 Dear friend,[fv] I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically(SK) just as you are spiritually.[fw] 3 For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified(SL) to your faithfulness to the truth—how you are walking in the truth.(SM) 4 I have no greater joy(SN) than this: to hear that my children(SO) are walking in the truth.
Gaius Commended
5 Dear friend,[fx] you are showing faithfulness[fy] by whatever you do for the brothers, especially when they are strangers. 6 They have testified to your love in front of the church.(SP) You will do well to send them on their journey(SQ) in a manner worthy of God,(SR) 7 since they set out for the sake of the Name,(SS) accepting nothing from pagans.(ST) 8 Therefore, we ought to support such men so that we can be coworkers with[fz] the truth.
Diotrephes and Demetrius
9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them,(SU) does not receive us.(SV) 10 This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering(SW) us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.
11 Dear friend,[ga] do not imitate what is evil,(SX) but what is good. The one who does good is of God;(SY) the one who does evil has not seen God.(SZ) 12 Demetrius has a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. And we also testify for him, and you know(TA) that our testimony is true.(TB)
Farewell
13 I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.[gb]
Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.
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