Chapter 1

Growth in Christian Virtue

1 1Simon Peter, a abond-servant and bapostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received ca faith of the same 2kind as ours, 3by dthe righteousness of eour God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

2 aGrace and peace be multiplied to you in bthe knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

3 seeing that His adivine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true bknowledge of Him who ccalled us 1by His own glory and 2excellence.

4 1For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent apromises, so that by them you may become bpartakers of the divine nature, having cescaped the dcorruption that is in ethe world by lust.

5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith asupply bmoral 1excellence, and in your moral excellence, cknowledge,

6 and in your knowledge, aself-control, and in your self-control, bperseverance, and in your perseverance, cgodliness,

7 and in your godliness, abrotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor aunfruitful in the true bknowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 For he who lacks these qualities is ablind or short-sighted, having forgotten his bpurification from his former sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His acalling and bchoosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never cstumble;

11 for in this way the entrance into athe eternal kingdom of our bLord and Savior Jesus Christ will be cabundantly dsupplied to you.

12 Therefore, aI will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in bthe truth which is present with you.

13 I consider it aright, as long as I am in bthis earthly dwelling, to cstir you up by way of reminder,

14 knowing that athe laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, bas also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my adeparture you will be able to call these things to mind.

Eyewitnesses

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised atales when we made known to you the bpower and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were ceyewitnesses of His majesty.

17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an 1autterance as this was 2made to Him by the bMajestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—

18 and we ourselves heard this 1utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the aholy mountain.

19 1So we have athe prophetic word made more bsure, to which you do well to pay attention as to ca lamp shining in a dark place, until the dday dawns and the emorning star arises fin your hearts.

20 But aknow this first of all, that bno prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,

21 for ano prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men bmoved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.