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.

Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who did obtain a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Saviour 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 to you, and peace be multiplied in the acknowledgement 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 all things to us His divine power (the things pertaining unto life and piety) hath given, through the acknowledgement of him who did call us through glory and worthiness,

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.

through which to us the most great and precious promises have been given, that through these ye may become partakers of a divine nature, having escaped from the corruption in the world in desires.

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

And this same also -- all diligence having brought in besides, superadd in your faith the worthiness, and in the worthiness the 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.

and in the knowledge the temperance, and in the temperance the endurance, and in the endurance the piety,

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

and in the piety the brotherly kindness, and in the brotherly kindness the 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 these things being to you and abounding, do make neither inert nor unfruitful in regard to the acknowledging 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 with whom these things are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of 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.

wherefore, the rather, brethren, be diligent to make stedfast your calling and choice, for these things doing, ye may 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, richly shall be superadded to you the entrance into the age-during reign of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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

Wherefore, I will not be careless always to remind you concerning these things, though, having known them, and having been established in the present truth,

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

and I think right, so long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up in reminding,

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

having known that soon is the laying aside of my tabernacle, even as also our Lord Jesus Christ did shew to me,

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

and I will be diligent that also at every time ye have, after my outgoing, power to make to yourselves the remembrance of these things.

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, skilfully devised fables not having followed out, we did make known to you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but eye-witnesses having become 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 having received from God the Father honour and glory, such a voice being borne to him by the excellent glory: `This is My Son -- the beloved, in whom I was well pleased;'

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

and this voice we -- we did hear, out of heaven borne, being with him in the holy mount.

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 we have more firm the prophetic word, to which we do well giving heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, till day may dawn, and a morning star may arise -- in your hearts;

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

this first knowing, that no prophecy of the Writing doth come of private exposition,

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 not by will of man did ever prophecy come, but by the Holy Spirit borne on holy men of God spake.