tering pompous words of folly, they entice, through the bodily appetites, by their dissoluteness, those who had almost escaped from those who live in error; promising them freedom, while they themselves continue to be slaves of corruption: (for, by whatever thing a man is vanquished, to that he is enslaved.) For if, after having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again intangled in these things and vanquished, the latter things have become worse with them than the former. For it would have been better for them not to have known the Way of righteousness, than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. It hath happened to them according to the true proverb: "The dog hath turned back to his own vomit, and the swine that had been washed to wallowing in the mud."

THIS is now, beloved, the second letter that I am writing to you: in both of which I am seeking to arouse your sincere minds, by reminding you to remember the words which were formerly spoken by the holy prophets, and the commandment of our Lord and Savior through his apostles: knowing this fact, that in the latter days scoffers will come, behaving in accordance with their own inordinate passions, and saying, "Where is the promise of his appearing? for from the day when the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been from the beginning of the creation." For they are willing to forget this, that by the word of God there were heavens from of old; also earth, made firm out of water and by means of water, by which the order of things that then was, being overflowed by water, perished; but the heavens and earth that now are, have been by the same word stored up with fire, being preserved for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

But, beloved, do not allow yourselves to forget this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not tardy concerning his promise, as some estimate tardiness: on the contrary, he is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to

(ii. 19-iii. 9.)

repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; when the heavens a will pass along with a rushing sound, and the elements becoming intensely hot will be let loose, and earth and the works that are upon it will be burned.

b

Since all these things are thus to be broken up, what kind of persons ought ye to be, in holy living and true piety, while ye are expecting and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, when the heavens being on fire will be broken up, and the elements becoming intensely hot will be melted? Yet, in accordance with his promise, we expect new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwelleth.

C

Wherefore, beloved, since ye expect these things, make earnest effort to be found by him in peace, spotless and blameless. And consider the long-suffering of our Lord to be salvation: even as indeed our beloved brother Paul hath written to you, in accordance with the wisdom given to him; as indeed he hath written in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these things: in which letters are some things difficult to understand, which the unlearned and unstable distort (as they do also the rest of the Writings) to their own destruction.

Do ye, therefore, beloved, since ye know beforehand, be on your guard, lest, being carried away by the error of the lawless, ye fall from your own stability. But continue ye to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: to whom be the glory, both now and forever.d

ΤΗ

b

HAT which was from the first, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we have looked upona and our hands have handled, concerning the word of Life; (for Life hath been brought to light, and we have seen and do testify and declare to you the Life, the Eternal Life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us;) — that which we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that ye also may have fellowship with us: (and, indeed, fellowship with us, is fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.) And we write these things in order that our joy may be made complete.

AND this is the message which we have heard from him, and repeat to you, that God is Light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we speak falsely, and do not tell the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with him, and he with us, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son purifieth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to put the sins away from us; and he will purify us from (i. 1-9.)

all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we are making him a liar, and his word is not in us.

a

My dear children, I am writing these things to you in order that ye may not sin. But if any one have sinned, we have a Helper near the Father-Jesus Christ-a Righteous One: and he himself is a propitiation on account of our sins; and not on account of a ours only, but also on account of those of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, "I know him," and doth not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whosoever keepeth his word, in him the love of God hath truly been made complete. By this we know that we are in him: he that saith that he dwelleth in him, ought himself also to be walking even as he walked.

Beloved, I am writing no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which ye have had from the first: this old commandment is the word which ye have heard. Again, I do write a new commandment to you— that which is real in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in the darkness until now. He that loveth his brother dwelleth in the light; and in that is no stumbling. But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he is going, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins are put away from you through his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because ye have come to know him who was from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because ye have vanquished the Wicked One.

I have written to you, dear children, because ye have come to know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because ye have come to know him who was from the beginning. I have written to (i. 10-ii. 14.)

* Or, concerning, in respect to.