1 T his letter is from Simon Peter. I am a missionary of Jesus Christ and a servant owned by Him. I am writing to those who have received the same faith as ours which is of great worth and which no amount of money can buy. This faith comes from our God and Jesus Christ, the One Who saves.

Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

2 M ay you have more and more of His loving-favor and peace as you come to know God and our Lord Jesus Christ better. Christians Are to Grow

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

3 H e gives us everything we need for life and for holy living. He gives it through His great power. As we come to know Him better, we learn that He called us to share His own shining-greatness and perfect life.

as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

4 T hrough His shining-greatness and perfect life, He has given us promises. These promises are of great worth and no amount of money can buy them. Through these promises you can have God’s own life in you now that you have gotten away from the sinful things of the world which came from wrong desires of the flesh.

by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Fruitful Growth in the Faith

5 D o your best to add holy living to your faith. Then add to this a better understanding.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

6 A s you have a better understanding, be able to say no when you need to. Do not give up. And as you wait and do not give up, live God-like.

to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

7 A s you live God-like, be kind to Christian brothers and love them.

to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

8 I f you have all these things and keep growing in them, they will keep you from being of no use and from having no fruit when it comes to knowing our Lord Jesus Christ.

For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 B ut if you do not have these things, you are blind and cannot see far. You forget God saved you from your old life of sin.

For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

10 C hristian brothers, make sure you are among those He has chosen and called out for His own. As long as you do these things, you will never trip and fall.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

11 I n this way, the road will be made wide open for you. And you will go into the holy nation that lasts forever of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One Who saves.

for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter’s Approaching Death

12 Y ou already know about these things but I want to keep telling you about them. You are strong in the faith now.

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.

13 I think it is right as long as I am alive to keep you thinking about these things.

Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,

14 I know that I will soon be leaving this body. Our Lord Jesus Christ has told me this.

knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

15 I will try to make a way for you to remember these things after I am gone.

Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. The Trustworthy Prophetic Word

16 W e had nothing to do with man-made stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and of His coming again. We have seen His great power with our own eyes.

For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

17 W hen He received honor and shining-greatness from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the All-powerful God, saying, “This is My much-loved Son. I am very happy with Him.”

For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

18 W e heard this voice come from heaven when we were with Christ on the holy mountain.

And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 A ll this helps us know that what the early preachers said was true. You will do well to listen to what they have said. Their words are as lights that shine in a dark place. Listen until you understand what they have said. Then it will be like the morning light which takes away the darkness. And the Morning Star (Christ) will rise to shine in your hearts.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

20 U nderstand this first: No part of the Holy Writings was ever made up by any man.

knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

21 N o part of the Holy Writings came long ago because of what man wanted to write. But holy men who belonged to God spoke what the Holy Spirit told them.

for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.