For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.

Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;

The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.

And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.

They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.

And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.

And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.

Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;