[1] Simon Peter, a servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who with
us have a part in the same holy faith in the righteousness of our God and
Saviour Jesus Christ: [2] May grace and peace ever be increasing in you, in
the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; [3] Because by his power he has
given us everything necessary for life and righteousness, through the
knowledge of him who has been our guide by his glory and virtue; [4] And
through this he has given us the hope of great rewards highly to be valued;
so that by them we might have our part in God's being, and be made free
from the destruction which is in the world through the desires of the
flesh. [5] So, for this very cause, take every care; joining virtue to
faith, and knowledge to virtue, [6] And self-control to knowledge, and a
quiet mind to self-control, and fear of God to a quiet mind, [7] And love
of the brothers to fear of God, and to love of the brothers, love itself.
[8] For if you have these things in good measure, they will make you
fertile and full of fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [9]
For the man who has not these things is blind, seeing only what is near,
having no memory of how he was made clean from his old sins. [10] For this
reason, my brothers, take all the more care to make your selection and
approval certain; for if you do these things you will never have a fall:
[11] For so the way will be open to you into the eternal kingdom of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. [12] For this reason I will be ready at all
times to keep your memory of these things awake, though you have the
knowledge of them now and are well based in your present faith. [13] And it
seems right to me, as long as I am in this tent of flesh, to keep your
minds awake by working on your memory; [14] For I am conscious that in a
short time I will have to put off this tent of flesh, as our Lord Jesus
Christ has made clear to me. [15] And I will take every care so that you
may have a clear memory of these things after my death. [16] For when we
gave you news of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our
teaching was not based on stories put together by art, but we were
eye-witnesses of his glory. [17] For God the Father gave him honour and
glory, when such a voice came to him out of the great glory, saying, This
is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased. [18] And this voice
came from heaven even to our ears, when we were with him on the holy
mountain. [19] And so the words of the prophets are made more certain; and
it is well for you to give attention to them as to a light shining in a
dark place, till the dawn comes and the morning star is seen in your
hearts; [20] Being conscious in the first place that no man by himself may
give a special sense to the words of the prophets. [21] For these words did
not ever come through the impulse of men: but the prophets had them from
God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.
