Bible in 90 Days

Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³ Is anyone among you wise and understanding? That person should show it by living a good life. A wise person isn’t proud when they do good deeds. ¹⁴ But suppose your hearts are jealous and bitter. Suppose you are concerned only about getting ahead. Then don’t brag about it. And don’t say no to the truth. ¹⁵ Wisdom like this doesn’t come down from heaven. It belongs to the earth. It doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit. It comes from the devil. ¹⁶ Are you jealous? Are you concerned only about getting ahead? Then your life will be a mess. You will be doing all kinds of evil things.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is pure. That’s the most important thing about it. And that’s not all. It also loves peace. It thinks about others. It obeys. It is full of mercy and good fruit. It is fair. It doesn’t pretend to be what it is not. ¹⁸ Those who make peace plant it like a seed. They will harvest a crop of right living.

Obey God

4 Why do you fight and argue among yourselves? Isn’t it because of your sinful desires? They fight within you. ² You want something, but you don’t have it. So you kill. You want what others have, but you can’t get what you want. So you argue and fight. You don’t have what you want, because you don’t ask God. ³ When you do ask for something, you don’t receive it. That’s because you ask for the wrong reason. You want to spend your money on your sinful pleasures.

⁴ You are not faithful to God. Don’t you know that to be a friend of the world is to hate God? So anyone who chooses to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. ⁵ Don’t you know what Scripture says? God wants the spirit in us to belong only to him. God caused this spirit to live in us. Don’t you think Scripture has a reason for saying this? ⁶ But God continues to give us more grace. That’s why Scripture says,

⁷ So obey God. Stand up to the devil. He will run away from you. ⁸ Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Make your hearts pure, you who can’t make up your minds. ⁹ Be full of sorrow. Cry and weep. Change your laughter to mourning. Change your joy to sadness. ¹⁰ Be humble in front of the Lord. And he will lift you up.

¹¹ My brothers and sisters, don’t speak against one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister speaks against the law. And anyone who judges another believer judges the law. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it. Instead, you are acting as if you were its judge. ¹² There is only one Lawgiver and Judge. He is the God who is able to save life or destroy it. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Bragging About Tomorrow

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city. We will spend a year there. We will buy and sell and make money.” ¹⁴ You don’t even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while. Then it disappears. ¹⁵ Instead, you should say, “If it pleases the Lord, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ As it is, you brag. You brag about the evil plans your pride produces. This kind of bragging is evil. ¹⁷ So suppose someone knows the good deeds they should do. But suppose they don’t do them. By not doing these good deeds, they sin.

A Warning to Rich People

5 You rich people, listen to me. Cry and weep, because you will soon be suffering. ² Your riches have rotted. Moths have eaten your clothes. ³ Your gold and silver have lost their brightness. Their dullness will be a witness against you. Your wanting more and more will eat your body like fire. You have stored up riches in these last days. ⁴ You have even failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields. Their pay is crying out against you. The cries of those who gathered the harvest have reached the ears of the Lord. He rules over all. ⁵ You have lived an easy life on earth. You have given yourselves everything you wanted. You have made yourselves fat like cattle that will soon be butchered. ⁶ You have judged and murdered people who aren’t guilty. And they weren’t even opposing you.

Be Patient When You Suffer

⁷ Brothers and sisters, be patient until the Lord comes. See how the farmer waits for the land to produce its rich crop. See how patient the farmer is for the fall and spring rains. ⁸ You too must be patient. You must remain strong. The Lord will soon come back. ⁹ Brothers and sisters, don’t find fault with one another. If you do, you will be judged. And the Judge is standing at the door!

¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, think about the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They are an example of how to be patient when you suffer. ¹¹ As you know, we think that people who don’t give up are blessed. You have heard that Job was patient. And you have seen what the Lord finally did for him. The Lord is full of tender mercy and loving concern.

¹² My brothers and sisters, here is what is most important. Don’t make a promise by giving your word. Don’t promise by heaven or earth. And don’t promise by anything else to back up what you say. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” If you do more than this, you will be judged.

The Prayer of Faith

¹³ Is anyone among you in trouble? Then that person should pray. Is anyone among you happy? Then that person should sing songs of praise. ¹⁴ Is anyone among you sick? Then that person should send for the elders of the church to pray over them. They should ask the elders to anoint them with olive oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵ The prayer offered by those who have faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will heal them. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. ¹⁶ So confess your sins to one another. Pray for one another so that you might be healed. The prayer of a godly person is powerful. Things happen because of it.

¹⁷ Elijah was a human being, just as we are. He prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain. And it didn’t rain on the land for three and a half years. ¹⁸ Then he prayed again. That time it rained. And the earth produced its crops.

¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, suppose one of you wanders away from the truth. And suppose someone brings that person back. ²⁰ Then here is what I want you to remember. Anyone who keeps a sinner from going astray will save them from death. God will erase many sins by forgiving them.

1 I, Peter, am writing this letter. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am sending this letter to you, God’s chosen people. You are people who have had to wander in the world. You are scattered all over the areas of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. ² You have been chosen in keeping with what God the Father had planned. That happened through the Spirit’s work to make you pure and holy. God chose you so that you might obey Jesus Christ. God wanted you to be in a covenant relationship with him. He established this relationship by the blood of Christ.

May more and more grace and peace be given to you.

Peter Praises God for a Living Hope

³ Give praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In his great mercy he has given us a new birth and a living hope. This hope is living because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. ⁴ He has given us new birth so that we might share in what belongs to him. This is a gift that can never be destroyed. It can never spoil or even fade away. It is kept in heaven for you. ⁵ Through faith you are kept safe by God’s power. Your salvation is going to be completed. It is ready to be shown to you in the last days. ⁶ Because you know all this, you have great joy. You have joy even though you may have had to suffer for a little while. You may have had to suffer sadness in all kinds of trouble. ⁷ Your troubles have come in order to prove that your faith is real. Your faith is worth more than gold. That’s because gold can pass away even when fire has made it pure. Your faith is meant to bring praise, honor and glory to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ returns. ⁸ Even though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You are filled with a glorious joy that can’t be put into words. ⁹ You are receiving the salvation of your souls. This salvation is the final result of your faith.

¹⁰ The prophets searched very hard and with great care to find out about this salvation. They spoke about the grace that was going to come to you. ¹¹ They wanted to find out when and how this salvation would come. The Spirit of Christ in them was telling them about the sufferings of the Messiah. These were his sufferings that were going to come. The Spirit of Christ was also telling them about the glory that would follow. ¹² It was made known to the prophets that they were not serving themselves. Instead, they were serving you when they spoke about the things that you have now heard. Those who have preached the good news to you have told you these things. They have done it with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

Be Holy

¹³ So be watchful, and control yourselves completely. In this way, put your hope in the grace that lies ahead. This grace will be brought to you when Jesus Christ returns. ¹⁴ You should obey your Father. You shouldn’t give in to evil desires. They controlled your life when you didn’t know any better. ¹⁵ The God who chose you is holy. So you should be holy in all that you do. ¹⁶ It is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.” (Leviticus 11:44,45; 19:2)

¹⁷ You call on a Father who judges each person’s work without favoring one over another. So live as outsiders during your time here. Live with the highest respect for God. ¹⁸ You were set free from an empty way of life. This way of life was handed down to you by your own people of long ago. You know that you were not bought with things that can pass away, like silver or gold. ¹⁹ Instead, you were bought with the priceless blood of Christ. He is a perfect lamb. He doesn’t have any flaws at all. ²⁰ He was chosen before God created the world. But he came into the world for your sake in these last days. ²¹ Because of what Christ has done, you believe in God. It was God who raised him from the dead. And it was God who gave him glory. So your faith and hope are in God.

²² You have made yourselves pure by obeying the truth. So you have an honest and true love for each other. So love one another deeply, from your hearts. ²³ You have been born again by means of the living word of God. His word lasts forever. You were not born again from a seed that will die. You were born from a seed that can’t die. ²⁴ It is written,

And this is the word that was preached to you.

2 So get rid of every kind of evil, and stop telling lies. Don’t pretend to be something you are not. Stop wanting what others have, and don’t speak against one another. ² Like newborn babies, you should long for the pure milk of God’s word. It will help you grow up as believers. ³ You can do this now that you have tasted how good the Lord is.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ Christ is the living Stone. People did not accept him, but God chose him. God places the highest value on him. ⁵ You also are like living stones. As you come to Christ, you are being built into a house for worship. There you will be holy priests. You will offer spiritual sacrifices. God will accept them because of what Jesus Christ has done. ⁶ In Scripture it says,

⁷ This stone is very valuable to you who believe. But to people who do not believe,

⁸ And,

They trip and fall because they do not obey the message. That is also what God planned for them.

⁹ But God chose you to be his people. You are royal priests. You are a holy nation. You are God’s special treasure. You are all these things so that you can give him praise. God brought you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people. But now you are the people of God. Once you had not received mercy. But now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives Among People Who Don’t Believe

¹¹ Dear friends, you are outsiders and those who wander in this world. So I’m asking you not to give in to your sinful desires. They fight against your soul. ¹² People who don’t believe might say you are doing wrong. But lead good lives among them. Then they will see your good deeds. And they will give glory to God on the day he comes to judge.

¹³ Follow the lead of every human authority. Do this for the Lord’s sake. Obey the emperor. He is the highest authority. ¹⁴ Obey the governors. The emperor sends them to punish those who do wrong. He also sends them to praise those who do right. ¹⁵ By doing good you will put a stop to the talk of foolish people. They don’t know what they are saying. ¹⁶ Live as free people. But don’t use your freedom to cover up evil. Live as people who are God’s slaves. ¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respect for God. Honor the emperor.

¹⁸ Slaves, obey your masters out of deep respect for God. Obey not only those who are good and kind. Obey also those who are not kind. ¹⁹ Suppose a person suffers pain unfairly because they want to obey God. This is worthy of praise. ²⁰ But suppose you receive a beating for doing wrong, and you put up with it. Will anyone honor you for this? Of course not. But suppose you suffer for doing good, and you put up with it. God will praise you for this. ²¹ You were chosen to do good even if you suffer. That’s because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example that he expects you to follow. ²² Scripture says,

²³ People shouted at him and made fun of him. But he didn’t do the same thing back to them. When he suffered, he didn’t say he would make them suffer. Instead, he trusted in the God who judges fairly. ²⁴ “He himself carried our sins” in his body on the cross. (Isaiah 53:5) He did it so that we would die as far as sins are concerned. Then we would lead godly lives. “His wounds have healed you.” (Isaiah 53:5) ²⁵ “You were like sheep wandering away.” (Isaiah 53:6) But now you have returned to the Shepherd. He is the one who watches over your souls.

3 Wives, follow the lead of your own husbands. Suppose some of them don’t believe God’s word. Then let them be won to Christ without words by seeing how their wives behave. ² Let them see how pure you are. Let them see that your lives are full of respect for God. ³ Fancy hairstyles don’t make you beautiful. Wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes doesn’t make you beautiful. ⁴ Instead, your beauty comes from inside you. It is the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Beauty like this doesn’t fade away. God places great value on it. ⁵ This is how the holy women of the past used to make themselves beautiful. They put their hope in God. And they followed the lead of their own husbands. ⁶ Sarah was like that. She obeyed Abraham. She called him her master. Do you want to be like her? Then do what is right. And don’t give in to fear.

⁷ Husbands, consider the needs of your wives. They are weaker than you. So treat them with respect. Honor them as those who will share with you the gracious gift of life. Then nothing will stand in the way of your prayers.

Suffering for Doing Good

⁸ Finally, I want all of you to agree with one another. Be understanding. Love one another. Be kind and tender. Be humble. ⁹ Don’t pay back evil with evil. Don’t pay back unkind words with unkind words. Instead, pay back evil with kind words. This is what you have been chosen to do. You will receive a blessing by doing this. ¹⁰ Scripture says,

¹³ Who is going to hurt you if you really want to do good? ¹⁴ But suppose you do suffer for doing what is right. Even then you will be blessed. Scripture says, “Don’t fear what others say they will do to hurt you. Don’t be afraid.” (Isaiah 8:12) ¹⁵ But make sure that in your hearts you honor Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect. ¹⁶ Live so that you don’t have to feel you’ve done anything wrong. Some people may say evil things about your good conduct as believers in Christ. If they do, they will be put to shame for speaking like this about you. ¹⁷ God may want you to suffer for doing good. That’s better than suffering for doing evil. ¹⁸ Christ also suffered once for sins. The one who did what is right suffered for those who don’t do right. He suffered to bring you to God. His body was put to death. But the Holy Spirit brought him back to life. ¹⁹ After that, Christ went and made an announcement to the spirits in prison. ²⁰ Long ago these spirits did not obey. That was when God was patient while Noah was building the ark. And only a few people went into the ark. In fact, there were only eight. Those eight people were saved through water. ²¹ The water of the flood is a picture. It is a picture of the baptism that now saves you too. This baptism has nothing to do with removing dirt from your body. Instead, it promises God that you will keep a clear sense of right and wrong. This baptism saves you by the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. ²² He has gone into heaven. He is at God’s right hand. Angels, authorities and powers are under his control.

Living for God

4 Christ suffered in his body. So prepare yourselves to think in the same way Christ did. Do this because whoever suffers in their body is finished with sin. ² As a result, they don’t live the rest of their earthly life for evil human desires. Instead, they live to do what God wants. ³ You have spent enough time in the past doing what ungodly people choose to do. You lived a wild life. You longed for evil things. You got drunk. You went to wild parties. You worshiped statues of gods, which the Lord hates. ⁴ Ungodly people are surprised that you no longer join them in what they do. They want you to join them in their wild and wasteful living. So they say bad things about you. ⁵ But they will have to explain their actions to God. He is ready to judge those who are alive and those who are dead. ⁶ That’s why the good news was preached even to people who are now dead. It was preached to them for two reasons. It was preached so that their bodies might be judged. This judgment is made by human standards. But the good news was also preached so that their spirits might live. This life comes by means of God’s power.

⁷ The end of all things is near. So be watchful and control yourselves. Then you may pray. ⁸ Most of all, love one another deeply. Love erases many sins by forgiving them. ⁹ Welcome others into your homes without complaining. ¹⁰ God’s gifts of grace come in many forms. Each of you has received a gift in order to serve others. You should use it faithfully. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do it as one speaking God’s words. If anyone serves, they should do it with the strength God provides. Then in all things God will be praised through Jesus Christ. Glory and power belong to him for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffering for Being a Christian

¹² Dear friends, don’t be surprised by the terrible things happening to you. The trouble you are having has come to test you. So don’t feel as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ Instead, be joyful that you are taking part in Christ’s sufferings. Then you will have even more joy when Christ returns in glory. ¹⁴ Suppose people say bad things about you because you believe in Christ. Then you are blessed, because God’s Spirit rests on you. He is the Spirit of glory. ¹⁵ If you suffer, it shouldn’t be because you are a murderer. It shouldn’t be because you are a thief or someone who does evil things. It shouldn’t be because you interfere with other people’s business. ¹⁶ But suppose you suffer for being a Christian. Then don’t be ashamed. Instead, praise God because you are known by the name of Christ. ¹⁷ It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God. And since it begins with us, what will happen to people who don’t obey God’s good news? ¹⁸ Scripture says,

¹⁹ Here is what people who suffer because of God’s plan should do. They should commit themselves to their faithful Creator. And they should continue to do good.

To Older and Younger Believers

5 I’m speaking to the elders among you. I was a witness of Christ’s sufferings. And I will also share in the glory that is going to come. I’m making my appeal to you as one who is an elder together with you. ² Be shepherds of God’s flock, the believers under your care. Watch over them, though not because you have to. Instead, do it because you want to. That’s what God wants you to do. Don’t do it because you want to get money in dishonest ways. Do it because you really want to serve. ³ Don’t act as if you were a ruler over those under your care. Instead, be examples to the flock. ⁴ The Chief Shepherd will come again. Then you will receive the crown of glory. It is a crown that will never fade away.

⁵ In the same way, I’m speaking to you who are younger. Follow the lead of those who are older. All of you, put on a spirit free of pride toward one another. Put it on as if it were your clothes. Do this because Scripture says,

⁶ So make yourselves humble. Put yourselves under God’s mighty hand. Then he will honor you at the right time. ⁷ Turn all your worries over to him. He cares about you.

⁸ Be watchful and control yourselves. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to swallow up. ⁹ Stand up to him. Remain strong in what you believe. You know that you are not alone in your suffering. The family of believers throughout the world is going through the same thing.

¹⁰ God always gives you all the grace you need. So you will only have to suffer for a little while. Then God himself will build you up again. He will make you strong and steady. And he has chosen you to share in his eternal glory because you belong to Christ. ¹¹ Give him the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings

¹² I consider Silas to be a faithful brother. With his help I have written you this short letter. I have written it to encourage you. And I have written to speak the truth about the true grace of God. Remain strong in it.

¹³ The members of the church in Babylon send you their greetings. They were chosen together with you. Mark, my son in the faith, also sends you his greetings.

¹⁴ Greet each other with a kiss of friendship.

May God give peace to all of you who believe in Christ.

1 I, Simon Peter, am writing this letter. I serve Jesus Christ. I am his apostle.

I am sending this letter to you. You are those who have received a faith as valuable as ours. You received it because our God and Savior Jesus Christ does what is right.

² May more and more grace and peace be given to you. May they come to you as you learn more about God and about Jesus our Lord.

Showing That God Has Chosen You

³ God’s power has given us everything we need to lead a godly life. All of this has come to us because we know the God who chose us. He chose us because of his own glory and goodness. ⁴ He has also given us his very great and valuable promises. He did it so you could share in his nature. You can share in it because you’ve escaped from the evil in the world. This evil is caused by sinful desires.

⁵ So you should try very hard to add goodness to your faith. To goodness, add knowledge. ⁶ To knowledge, add the ability to control yourselves. To the ability to control yourselves, add the strength to keep going. To the strength to keep going, add godliness. ⁷ To godliness, add kindness for one another. And to kindness for one another, add love. ⁸ All these things should describe you more and more. They will make you useful and fruitful as you know our Lord Jesus Christ better. ⁹ But what if these things don’t describe someone at all? Then that person can’t see very well. In fact, they are blind. They have forgotten that their past sins have been washed away.

¹⁰ My brothers and sisters, try very hard to show that God has appointed you to be saved. Try hard to show that he has chosen you. If you do everything I have just said, you will never trip and fall. ¹¹ You will receive a rich welcome into the kingdom that lasts forever. It is the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Prophecy of Scripture Comes From God

¹² So I will always remind you of these things. I’ll do it even though you know them. I’ll do it even though you now have deep roots in the truth. ¹³ I think it is right for me to remind you. It is right as long as I live in this tent. I’m talking about my body. ¹⁴ I know my tent will soon be removed. Our Lord Jesus Christ has made that clear to me. ¹⁵ I hope that you will always be able to remember these things after I’m gone. I will try very hard to see that you do.

¹⁶ We told you about the time our Lord Jesus Christ came with power. But we didn’t make up clever stories when we told you about it. With our own eyes we saw him in all his majesty. ¹⁷ God the Father gave him honor and glory. The voice of the Majestic Glory came to him. It said, “This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him.” (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven. We were with him on the sacred mountain.

¹⁹ We also have the message of the prophets. This message can be trusted completely. You must pay attention to it. The message is like a light shining in a dark place. It will shine until the day Jesus comes. Then the Morning Star will rise in your hearts. ²⁰ Above all, here is what you must understand. No prophecy in Scripture ever came from a prophet’s own understanding of things. ²¹ Prophecy never came simply because a prophet wanted it to. Instead, the Holy Spirit guided the prophets as they spoke. So, although prophets are human, prophecy comes from God.

False Teachers Will Be Destroyed

2 But there were also false prophets among the people. In the same way there will be false teachers among you. In secret they will bring in teachings that will destroy you. They will even turn against the Lord and Master who died to pay for their sins. So they will quickly destroy themselves. ² Many people will follow their lead. These people will do the same evil things the false teachers do. They will cause people to think badly about the way of truth. ³ These teachers are never satisfied. They want to get something out of you. So they make up stories to take advantage of you. They have been under a sentence of death for a long time. The God who will destroy them has not been sleeping.

⁴ God did not spare angels when they sinned. Instead, he sent them to hell. He chained them up in dark prisons. He will keep them there until he judges them. ⁵ God did not spare the world’s ungodly people long ago. He brought the flood on them. But Noah preached about the right way to live. God kept him safe. He also saved seven others. ⁶ God judged the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He burned them to ashes. He made them an example of what is going to happen to ungodly people. ⁷ God saved Lot, a man who did what was right. Lot was shocked by the evil conduct of people who didn’t obey God’s laws. ⁸ That good man lived among them day after day. He saw and heard the evil things they were doing. They were breaking God’s laws. And the godly spirit of Lot was deeply troubled. ⁹ Since all this is true, then the Lord knows how to save godly people. He knows how to keep them safe in times of testing. The Lord also knows how to keep ungodly people under guard. He will do so until the day they will be judged and punished. ¹⁰ Most of all, this is true of people who follow desires that come from sin’s power. These people hate to be under authority.

They are bold and proud. So they aren’t even afraid to speak evil things against heavenly beings. ¹¹ Now angels are stronger and more powerful than these people. But even angels don’t speak evil things against heavenly beings. They don’t do this when they bring judgment on them from the Lord. ¹² These people speak evil about things they don’t understand. They are like wild animals who can’t think. Instead, they do what comes naturally to them. They are born only to be caught and destroyed. Just like animals, these people too will die.

¹³ They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to have wild parties in the middle of the day. They are like dirty spots and stains. They enjoy their sinful pleasures while they eat with you. ¹⁴ They stare at women who are not their wives. They want to sleep with them. They never stop sinning. They trap those who are not firm in their faith. They have mastered the art of getting what they want. God has placed them under his judgment. ¹⁵ They have left God’s way. They have wandered off. They follow the way of Balaam, son of Beor. He loved to get paid for doing his evil work. ¹⁶ But a donkey corrected him for the wrong he did. Animals don’t speak. But the donkey spoke with a human voice. It tried to stop the prophet from doing a very dumb thing.

¹⁷ These people are like springs without water. They are like mists driven by a storm. The blackest darkness is reserved for them. ¹⁸ They speak empty, bragging words. They make their appeal to the evil desires that come from sin’s power. They tempt new believers who are just escaping from the company of sinful people. ¹⁹ They promise to give freedom to these new believers. But they themselves are slaves to sinful living. That’s because “people are slaves to anything that controls them.” ²⁰ They may have escaped the sin of the world. They may have come to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But what if they are once again caught up in sin? And what if it has become their master? Then they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. ²¹ Suppose they had not known the way of godliness. This would have been better than to know godliness and then turn away from it. The way of godliness is the sacred command passed on to them. ²² What the proverbs say about them is true. “A dog returns to where it has thrown up.” (Proverbs 26:11) And, “A pig that is washed goes back to rolling in the mud.”

The Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders. I want to encourage you to think in a way that is pure. ² I want you to remember the words the holy prophets spoke in the past. Remember the command our Lord and Savior gave through your apostles.

³ Most of all, here is what you must understand. In the last days people will make fun of the truth. They will laugh at it. They will follow their own evil desires. ⁴ They will say, “Where is this ‘return’ he promised? Everything goes on in the same way it has since our people of long ago died. In fact, it has continued this way since God first created everything.” ⁵ Long ago, God’s word brought the heavens into being. His word separated the earth from the waters. And the waters surrounded it. But these people forget things like that on purpose. ⁶ The waters also flooded the world of that time. And so they destroyed the world. ⁷ By God’s word the heavens and earth of today are being reserved for fire. They are being kept for the day when God will judge. Then ungodly people will be destroyed.

⁸ Dear friends, here is one thing you must not forget. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years. And a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar. Fire will destroy everything in them. God will judge the earth and everything done in it.

¹¹ So everything will be destroyed in this way. And what kind of people should you be? You should lead holy and godly lives. ¹² Live like this as you look forward to the day of God. Living like this will make the day come more quickly. On that day fire will destroy the heavens. Its heat will melt everything in them. ¹³ But we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth. Godliness will live there. All this is in keeping with God’s promise.

¹⁴ Dear friends, I know you are looking forward to this. So try your best to be found pure and without blame. Be at peace with God. ¹⁵ Remember that while our Lord is waiting patiently to return, people are being saved. Our dear brother Paul also wrote to you about this. God made him wise to write as he did. ¹⁶ Paul writes the same way in all his letters. He speaks about what I have just told you. His letters include some things that are hard to understand. People who don’t know better and aren’t firm in the faith twist what he says. They twist the other Scriptures too. So they will be destroyed.

¹⁷ Dear friends, you have already been warned about this. So be on your guard. Then you won’t be led astray by people who don’t obey the law. Instead, you will remain safe. ¹⁸ Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Glory belongs to him both now and forever. Amen.

The Word of Life Became a Human Being

1 Here is what we announce to everyone about the Word of life. The Word was already here from the beginning. We have heard him. We have seen him with our eyes. We have looked at him. Our hands have touched him. ² This life has appeared. We have seen him. We are witnesses about him. And we announce to you this same eternal life. He was already with the Father. He has appeared to us. ³ We announce to you what we have seen and heard. We do it so you can share life together with us. And we share life with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We are writing this to make our joy complete.

Walking in the Light

⁵ Here is the message we have heard from him and announce to you. God is light. There is no darkness in him at all. ⁶ Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living out the truth. ⁷ But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin.

⁸ Suppose we claim we are without sin. Then we are fooling ourselves. The truth is not in us. ⁹ But God is faithful and fair. If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar. His word is not in us.

2 My dear children, I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. But suppose someone does sin. Then we have a friend who speaks to the Father for us. He is Jesus Christ, the Blameless One. ² He gave his life to pay for our sins. But he not only paid for our sins. He also paid for the sins of the whole world.

Instructions About Loving and Hating Other Believers

³ We know that we have come to know God if we obey his commands. ⁴ Suppose someone says, “I know him.” But suppose this person does not do what God commands. Then this person is a liar and is not telling the truth. ⁵ But if anyone obeys God’s word, then that person truly loves God. Here is how we know we belong to him. ⁶ Those who claim to belong to him must live just as Jesus did.

⁷ Dear friends, I’m not writing you a new command. Instead, I’m writing one you have heard before. You have had it since the beginning. ⁸ But I am writing what amounts to a new command. Its truth was shown in how Jesus lived. It is also shown in how you live. That’s because the darkness is passing away. And the true light is already shining.

⁹ Suppose someone claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister. Then they are still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light. There is nothing in them to make them fall into sin. ¹¹ But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness. They walk around in the darkness. They don’t know where they are going. The darkness has made them blind.

Reasons for Writing

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in it. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. ¹⁶ Here is what people who belong to this world do. They try to satisfy what their sinful desires want to do. They long for what their sinful eyes look at. They take pride in what they have and what they do. All of this comes from the world. None of it comes from the Father. ¹⁷ The world and its evil desires are passing away. But whoever does what God wants them to do lives forever.

Warnings About Saying No to the Son

¹⁸ Dear children, we are living in the last days. You have heard that the great enemy of Christ is coming. But even now many enemies of Christ have already come. That’s how we know that these are the last days. ¹⁹ These enemies left our community of believers. They didn’t really belong to us. If they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by leaving they showed that none of them belonged to us.

²⁰ You have received the Spirit from the Holy One. And all of you know the truth. ²¹ I’m not writing to you because you don’t know the truth. I’m writing because you do know it. I’m writing to you because no lie comes from the truth. ²² Who is the liar? It is anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. The person who says this is the great enemy of Christ. They say no to the Father and the Son. ²³ The person who says no to the Son doesn’t belong to the Father. But anyone who says yes to the Son belongs to the Father also.

²⁴ Make sure that you don’t forget what you have heard from the beginning. Then you will remain joined to the Son and to the Father. ²⁵ And here is what God has promised us. He has promised us eternal life.

²⁶ I’m writing these things to warn you. I am warning you about people trying to lead you astray. ²⁷ But you have received the Holy Spirit from God. He continues to live in you. So you don’t need anyone to teach you. God’s Spirit teaches you about everything. What he says is true. He doesn’t lie. Remain joined to Christ, just as you have been taught by the Spirit.

God’s Children and Sin

²⁸ Dear children, remain joined to Christ. Then when he comes, we can be bold. We will not be ashamed to meet him when he comes.

²⁹ You know that God is right and always does what is right. And you know that everyone who does what is right is God’s child.

3 See what amazing love the Father has given us! Because of it, we are called children of God. And that’s what we really are! The world doesn’t know us because it didn’t know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God. He still hasn’t let us know what we will be. But we know that when Christ appears, we will be like him. That’s because we will see him as he really is. ³ Christ is pure. All who hope to be like him make themselves pure.

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law. In fact, breaking the law is sin. ⁵ But you know that Christ came to take our sins away. And there is no sin in him. ⁶ No one who remains joined to him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has seen him or known him.

⁷ Dear children, don’t let anyone lead you astray. The person who does what is right is holy, just as Christ is holy. ⁸ The person who does what is sinful belongs to the devil. That’s because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the devil’s work. ⁹ Those who are God’s children will not keep on sinning. God’s very nature remains in them. They can’t go on sinning. That’s because they are God’s children. ¹⁰ Here is how you can tell the difference between God’s children and the devil’s children. Anyone who doesn’t do what is right isn’t God’s child. And anyone who doesn’t love their brother or sister isn’t God’s child either.

More Instructions About Loving and Hating One Another

¹¹ From the beginning we have heard that we should love one another. ¹² Don’t be like Cain. He belonged to the evil one. He murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because the things Cain had done were wrong. But the things his brother had done were right. ¹³ My brothers and sisters, don’t be surprised if the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have left our old dead way of life. And we have entered into new life. We know this because we love one another. Anyone who doesn’t love still lives in their old condition. ¹⁵ Anyone who hates their brother or sister is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life.

¹⁶ We know what love is because Jesus Christ gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Suppose someone sees a brother or sister in need and is able to help them. And suppose that person doesn’t take pity on these needy people. Then how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, don’t just talk about love. Put your love into action. Then it will truly be love.

¹⁹ Here’s how we know that we hold to the truth. And here’s how we put our hearts at rest, knowing that God is watching. ²⁰ If our hearts judge us, we know that God is greater than our hearts. And he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not judge us, we can be bold with God. ²² And he will give us anything we ask. That’s because we obey his commands. We do what pleases him. ²³ God has commanded us to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. He has also commanded us to love one another. ²⁴ The one who obeys God’s commands remains joined to him. And he remains joined to them. Here is how we know that God lives in us. We know it because of the Holy Spirit he gave us.

Jesus Came as a Human Being

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit. Test the spirits to see if they belong to God. Many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² Here is how you can recognize the Spirit of God. Every spirit agreeing that Jesus Christ came in a human body belongs to God. ³ But every spirit that doesn’t agree with this does not belong to God. You have heard that the spirit of the great enemy of Christ is coming. Even now it is already in the world.

⁴ Dear children, you belong to God. You have not accepted the teachings of the false prophets. That’s because the one who is in you is powerful. He is more powerful than the one who is in the world. ⁵ False prophets belong to the world. So they speak from the world’s point of view. And the world listens to them. ⁶ We belong to God. And those who know God listen to us. But those who don’t belong to God don’t listen to us. That’s how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of lies.

We Love Because God Loved Us

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become a child of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ Here is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world. He sent him so we could receive life through him. ¹⁰ Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we should also love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God lives in us. His love is made complete in us.

¹³ Here’s how we know that we are joined to him and he to us. He has given us his Holy Spirit. ¹⁴ The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We have seen it and are witnesses to it. ¹⁵ God lives in anyone who agrees that Jesus is the Son of God. This kind of person remains joined to God. ¹⁶ So we know that God loves us. We depend on it.

God is love. Anyone who leads a life of love is joined to God. And God is joined to them. ¹⁷ Suppose love is fulfilled among us. Then we can be without fear on the day God judges the world. Love is fulfilled among us when in this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives away fear. That’s because fear has to do with being punished. The one who fears does not have perfect love.

¹⁹ We love because he loved us first. ²⁰ Suppose someone claims to love God but hates a brother or sister. Then they are a liar. They don’t love their brother or sister, whom they have seen. So they can’t love God, whom they haven’t seen. ²¹ Here is the command God has given us. Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Faith in God’s Son Who Became a Human Being

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children as well. ² Here is how we know that we love God’s children. We know it when we love God and obey his commands. ³ In fact, here is what it means to love God. We love him by obeying his commands. And his commands are not hard to obey. ⁴ That’s because everyone who is a child of God has won the battle over the world. Our faith has won the battle for us. ⁵ Who is it that has won the battle over the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

⁶ Jesus Christ was born as we are, and he died on the cross. He wasn’t just born as we are. He also died on the cross. The Holy Spirit is a truthful witness about him. That’s because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ There are three that are witnesses about Jesus. ⁸ They are the Holy Spirit, the birth of Jesus, and the death of Jesus. And the three of them agree. ⁹ We accept what people say when they are witnesses. But it’s more important when God is a witness. That’s because it is what God says about his Son. ¹⁰ Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts what God says about him. Whoever does not believe God is calling him a liar. That’s because they have not believed what God said about his Son. ¹¹ Here is what God says about the Son. God has given us eternal life. And this life is found in his Son. ¹² Whoever belongs to the Son has life. Whoever doesn’t belong to the Son of God doesn’t have life.

Final Words

¹³ I’m writing these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God. I’m writing so you will know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ Here is what we can be sure of when we come to God in prayer. If we ask anything in keeping with what he wants, he hears us. ¹⁵ If we know that God hears what we ask for, we know that we have it.

¹⁶ Suppose you see any brother or sister commit a sin. But this sin is not the kind that leads to death. Then you should pray, and God will give them life. I’m talking about someone whose sin does not lead to death. But there is a sin that does lead to death. I’m not saying you should pray about that sin. ¹⁷ Every wrong thing we do is sin. But there are sins that do not lead to death.

¹⁸ We know that those who are children of God do not keep on sinning. The Son of God keeps them safe. The evil one can’t harm them. ¹⁹ We know that we are children of God. We know that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. ²⁰ We also know that the Son of God has come. He has given us understanding. So we can know the God who is true. And we belong to the true God by belonging to his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

²¹ Dear children, keep away from statues of gods.

¹ I, the elder, am writing this letter.

I am sending it to the lady chosen by God and to her children. I love all of you because of the truth. I’m not the only one who loves you. So does everyone who knows the truth. ² I love you because of the truth that is alive in us. This truth will be with us forever.

³ God the Father and Jesus Christ his Son will give you grace, mercy and peace. These blessings will be with us because we love the truth.

⁴ It has given me great joy to find some of your children living by the truth. That’s just what the Father commanded us to do. ⁵ Dear lady, I’m not writing you a new command. I’m writing a command we’ve had from the beginning. I’m asking that we love one another. ⁶ The way we show our love is to obey God’s commands. He commands you to lead a life of love. That’s what you have heard from the beginning.

⁷ I say this because many people have tried to fool others. These people have gone out into the world. They don’t agree that Jesus Christ came in a human body. People like this try to trick others. These people are like the great enemy of Christ. ⁸ Watch out that you don’t lose what we have worked for. Make sure that you get your full reward. ⁹ Suppose someone thinks they know more than we do. So they don’t follow Christ’s teaching. Then that person doesn’t belong to God. But whoever follows Christ’s teaching belongs to the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ Suppose someone comes to you and doesn’t teach these truths. Then don’t take them into your house or welcome them. ¹¹ Anyone who welcomes them shares in their evil work.

¹² I have a lot to write to you. But I don’t want to use paper and ink. I hope I can visit you instead. Then I can talk with you face to face. That will make our joy complete.

¹³ The children of your sister, who is chosen by God, send their greetings.

¹ I, the elder, am writing this letter.

I am sending it to you, my dear friend Gaius. I love you because of the truth.

² Dear friend, I know that your spiritual life is going well. I pray that you also may enjoy good health. And I pray that everything else may go well with you. ³ Some believers came to me and told me that you are faithful to the truth. They told me that you continue to live by it. This news gave me great joy. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living by the truth.

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters. You are faithful even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have told the church about your love. Please help them by sending them on their way in a manner that honors God. ⁷ They started on their journey to serve Jesus Christ. They didn’t receive any help from those who aren’t believers. ⁸ So we should welcome people like them. We should work together with them for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church. But Diotrephes will not welcome us. He loves to be the first in everything. ¹⁰ So when I come, I will point out what he is doing. He is saying evil things that aren’t true about us. Even this doesn’t satisfy him. So he refuses to welcome other believers. He also keeps others from welcoming them. In fact, he throws them out of the church.

¹¹ Dear friend, don’t be like those who do evil. Be like those who do good. Anyone who does what is good belongs to God. Anyone who does what is evil hasn’t really seen or known God. ¹² Everyone says good things about Demetrius. He lives in keeping with the truth. We also say good things about him. And you know that what we say is true.

¹³ I have a lot to write to you. But I don’t want to write with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope I can see you soon. Then we can talk face to face.

¹⁵ May you have peace.

The friends here send their greetings. Greet each one of the friends there.