1This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.G4826G4074G1401G2532G652G2424G5547G2975G2472G4102G2254G1722G1343G2316G2532G2257G4990G2424G5547 2May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.G5485G2532G1515G4129G5213G1722G1922G2316G2532G2424G2257G2962 3By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.G5613G846G2304G1411G1433G2254G3956G4314G2222G2532G2150G1223G1922G2564G2248G1223G1391G2532G703 4And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.G1223G3739G1433G2254G3176G2532G5093G1862G2443G1223G5130G1096G2844G2304G5449G668G5356G1722G2889G1722G1939 5In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,G2532G1161G846G5124G3923G3956G4710G2023G1722G5216G4102G703G1161G1722G703G1108 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness,G1161G1722G1108G1466G1161G1722G1466G5281G1161G1722G5281G2150 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.G1161G1722G2150G5360G1161G1722G5360G26 8The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.G1063G5023G5225G5213G2532G4121G2525G3756G692G3761G175G1519G1922G2257G2962G2424G5547 9But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.G1063G3739G3361G3918G5023G2076G5185G3467G3024G2983G2512G846G3819G266 10So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.G1352G3123G80G4704G4160G5216G2821G2532G1589G949G1063G4160G5023G4218G4417G3364G4218G4417 11Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.G1063G3779G1529G2023G5213G4146G1519G166G932G2257G2962G2532G4990G2424G5547 12Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught.G1352G272G3756G272G5279G5209G104G5279G4012G5130G2539G1492G2532G4741G1722G3918G225 13And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.G1161G2233G1342G1909G3745G1510G1722G5129G4638G1326G5209G1326G1722G5280 14For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life,G1492G3754G5031G2076G595G3450G4638G2532G2531G2257G2962G2424G5547G1213G3427 15so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.G1161G2532G4704G5209G2192G3326G1699G1841G4160G5130G1539G3420 16For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyesG1063G1811G3756G1811G4679G3454G1107G5213G1411G2532G3952G2257G2962G2424G5547G235G1096G2030G1565G3168 17when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, "This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy."G1063G2983G3844G2316G3962G5092G2532G1391G5342G5107G5456G846G5259G3169G1391G3778G2076G3450G27G5207G1519G3739G1473G2106 18We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.G2532G5026G5456G5342G1537G3772G2249G191G5607G4862G846G1722G40G3735 19Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.G2192G2532G949G3056G4397G3739G4160G2573G4337G5613G3088G5316G1722G850G5117G2193G3739G2250G1306G2532G5459G393G1722G5216G2588 20Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet's own understanding,G1097G5124G4412G3754G3756G3956G4394G1124G1096G2398G1955 21or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.G1063G4394G5342G3756G4218G2307G444G235G40G444G2316G2980G5342G5259G40G4151
2But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.G1161G1096G5578G2532G1722G2992G2532G5613G2071G5572G1722G5213G3748G3919G684G139G2532G720G1203G59G846G1863G1438G5031G684 2Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.G2532G4183G1811G846G684G1223G3739G3598G225G987 3In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.G2532G1722G4124G4112G3056G1710G5209G3739G2917G1597G691G3756G2532G846G684G3573G3756 4For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.G1063G1487G2316G5339G3756G32G264G235G5020G3860G4577G2217G5083G1519G2920 5And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God's righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.G2532G5339G3756G744G2889G235G5442G3575G3590G2783G1343G1863G2627G2889G765 6Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people.G2532G5077G4172G4670G2532G1116G5077G2632G2692G5087G5262G3195G764 7But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him.G2532G4506G1342G3091G2669G5259G766G391G1722G113 8Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.G1063G1342G1460G1722G846G990G2532G189G928G1342G5590G2250G1537G2250G459G2041 9So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment.G2962G1492G4506G2152G1537G3986G1161G5083G94G1519G2250G2920G2849 10He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority. These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling.G1161G3122G4198G3694G4561G1722G1939G3394G2532G2706G2963G5113G829G3756G5141G987G1391 11But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings.G3699G32G5607G3187G2479G2532G1411G5342G3756G989G2920G2596G846G3844G2962 12These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed.G1161G3778G5613G5446G249G2226G1080G1519G259G2532G5356G987G1722G3739G50G2704G1722G846G5356 13Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.G2865G3408G93G2233G2237G5172G1722G2250G4696G2532G3470G1792G1722G846G539G4910G5213 14They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God's curse.G2192G3788G3324G3428G2532G180G266G1185G793G5590G2588G2192G1128G4124G2671G5043 15They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.G2641G2117G3598G4105G1811G3598G903G1007G3739G25G3408G93 16But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.G1161G2192G1649G2398G3892G880G5268G5350G1722G444G5456G2967G3913G4396 17These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness.G3778G1526G4077G504G3507G1643G5259G2978G3739G2217G4655G5083G1519G165 18They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.G1063G5350G5246G3153G1185G1722G1939G4561G766G3689G668G390G1722G4106 19They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.G1861G846G1657G846G5225G1401G5356G1063G3739G5100G2274G2532G5129G1402 20And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.G1063G1487G668G3393G2889G1722G1922G2962G2532G4990G2424G5547G1707G3825G1707G5125G1161G1096G2274G2078G5501G846G4413 21It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.G1063G2258G2909G846G3361G1921G3598G1343G2228G1921G1994G1537G40G1785G3860G846 22They prove the truth of this proverb: "A dog returns to its vomit." And another says, "A washed pig returns to the mud."G1161G4819G846G3588G227G3942G2965G1994G1909G2398G1829G1994G2532G5300G3068G1519G2946G1004
3This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory.G5026G1208G1992G27G1125G2235G1125G5213G1722G3739G1326G5216G1506G1271G1722G5280 2I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.G3415G4487G4280G5259G40G4396G2532G1785G2257G652G2962G2532G4990 3Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.G1097G5124G4412G3754G2064G1909G2078G2250G1703G4198G2596G846G2398G1939 4They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."G2532G3004G4226G2076G1860G846G3952G1063G575G3739G3962G2837G3956G3779G1265G575G746G2937 5They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water.G1063G5124G846G2309G2990G3754G3056G2316G3772G2258G1597G2532G1093G4921G1537G5204G2532G1223G5204 6Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood.G1223G3739G2889G5119G2626G5204G622 7And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.G1161G3772G2532G1093G3568G846G3056G1526G2343G5083G4442G1519G2250G2920G2532G684G765G444 8But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.G1161G27G2990G3361G5209G2990G1520G5124G3754G3391G2250G3844G2962G5613G5507G2094G2532G5507G2094G5613G3391G2250 9The Lord isn't really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.G2962G1019G3756G1019G1860G5613G5100G2233G1022G235G3114G1519G2248G3361G1014G5100G622G235G3956G5562G1519G3341 10But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.G1161G2250G2962G2240G5613G2812G1722G3571G1722G3739G3772G3928G4500G1161G4747G3089G2741G1093G2532G2532G2041G1722G846G2618 11Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,G3767G3956G5130G3089G4217G1163G5209G5225G1722G40G391G2532G2150 12looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.G4328G2532G4692G3952G2250G2316G1223G3739G3772G4448G3089G2532G4747G5080G2741 13But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.G1161G4328G2596G846G1862G4328G2537G3772G2532G2537G1093G1722G3739G2730G1343 14And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.G1352G27G4328G5023G4704G2147G846G1722G1515G784G2532G298 15And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—G2532G2233G3115G2257G2962G4991G2531G2257G27G80G3972G2532G2596G4678G1325G846G1125G5213 16speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.G5613G2532G1722G3956G1992G2980G1722G846G4012G5130G1722G3739G2076G5100G1425G3739G261G2532G793G4761G5613G2532G3062G1124G4314G846G2398G684 17I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.G5210G3767G27G4267G5442G3363G1601G4879G4106G113G1601G2398G4740 18Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.G1161G837G1722G5485G2532G1108G2257G2962G2532G4990G2424G5547G846G1391G2532G3568G2532G1519G165G2250G281
1This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.G2455G1401G2424G5547G1161G80G2385G37G1722G2316G3962G2532G5083G2424G5547G28222May God give you more and more mercy, peace, and love.G1656G5213G2532G1515G2532G26G41293Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.G27G4160G3956G4710G1125G5213G4012G2839G4991G2192G318G2192G1125G5213G3870G1864G4102G530G3860G404I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God's marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.G1063G5100G444G3921G3588G4270G3819G4270G1519G5124G2917G765G3346G5485G2257G2316G1519G766G2532G720G3441G1203G2316G2532G2257G2962G2424G55475So I want to remind you, though you already know these things, that Jesus first rescued the nation of Israel from Egypt, but later he destroyed those who did not remain faithful.G1014G1161G5279G5209G5279G5209G530G1492G5124G3754G2962G4982G2992G1537G1093G125G1208G622G4100G33616And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them securely chained in prisons of darkness, waiting for the great day of judgment.G5037G32G5083G3361G1438G746G235G620G2398G3613G5083G126G1199G5259G2217G1519G2920G3173G22507And don't forget Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God's judgment.G5613G4670G2532G1116G2532G4172G4012G846G3664G5125G5158G1608G2532G565G3694G2087G4561G4295G1164G5254G1349G166G44428In the same way, these people—who claim authority from their dreams—live immoral lives, defy authority, and scoff at supernatural beings.G3668G3305G2532G3778G1797G3392G3303G4561G1161G114G2963G1161G987G13919But even Michael, one of the mightiest of the angels, did not dare accuse the devil of blasphemy, but simply said, "The Lord rebuke you!" (This took place when Michael was arguing with the devil about Moses' body.)G1161G3413G743G3753G1252G1228G1256G4012G4983G3475G5111G3756G2018G988G2920G235G2036G2962G2008G467110But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.G1161G3778G987G3745G3303G1492G3756G1161G3745G1987G5447G5613G249G2226G1722G5125G535111What sorrow awaits them! For they follow in the footsteps of Cain, who killed his brother. Like Balaam, they deceive people for money. And like Korah, they perish in their rebellion.G3759G846G3754G4198G3598G2535G2532G1632G4106G903G3408G2532G622G485G287912When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord's love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves. They are like clouds blowing over the land without giving any rain. They are like trees in autumn that are doubly dead, for they bear no fruit and have been pulled up by the roots.G3778G1526G4694G1722G5216G26G4910G5213G4165G1438G870G3507G504G4064G5259G417G1186G5352G175G1364G599G161013They are like wild waves of the sea, churning up the foam of their shameful deeds. They are like wandering stars, doomed forever to blackest darkness.G66G2949G2281G1890G1438G152G4107G792G3739G5083G2217G4655G1519G16514Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, "Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy onesG1161G1802G2532G1442G575G76G4395G5125G3004G2400G2962G2064G1722G3461G846G4015to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him."G4160G2920G2596G3956G2532G1827G3956G765G846G4012G3956G846G763G2041G3739G764G2532G4012G3956G4642G3739G765G268G2980G2596G84616These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want.G3778G1526G1113G3202G4198G2596G846G1939G2532G846G4750G2980G5246G4383G2296G5484G562217But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said.G1161G27G3415G5210G4487G3588G4280G5259G652G2257G2962G2424G554718They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires.G3754G3754G3004G5213G2071G1703G1722G2078G5550G4198G2596G1438G763G193919These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God's Spirit in them.G3778G1526G592G1438G5591G2192G3361G415120But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,G1161G5210G27G2026G1438G5216G40G4102G4336G1722G40G415121and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God's love.G5083G1438G1722G26G2316G4327G1656G2257G2962G2424G5547G1519G166G222222And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering.G2532G3303G3739G1653G125223Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.G1161G3739G4982G1722G5401G726G1537G4442G3404G2532G5509G4695G575G456124Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault.G1161G1410G5442G5209G846G679G2532G2476G299G2714G846G1391G1722G2025All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time! Amen.G3441G4680G2316G2257G4990G1391G2532G3172G2904G2532G1849G2532G3568G2532G1519G3956G165G281
Dublin, OH
Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.G4826
