Leviticus Introduction

the duetie of wiues and husbands to each other,

8 exhorting all men to vnitie, and loue,

14 and to suffer persecution.

19 Hee declareth also the benefits of Christ toward the old world.

1 Likewise, ye wiues, be in subiection to your owne husbands, that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of the wiues:

2 While they beholde your chaste conuersation coupled with feare:

3 Whose adorning, let it not bee that outward adorning, of plaiting the haire, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparell.

4 But let it bee the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, euen the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

5 For after this manner in the olde time, the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselues, beeing in subiection vnto their owne husbands.

6 Euen as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose [Note: Greek: children.] daughters ye are as long as ye doe well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

7 Likewise ye husbands, dwel with them according to knowledge, giuing honour vnto the wife as vnto the weaker vessel, and as being heires together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

8 Finally be ye all of one minde, hauing compassion one of another, [Note: Or, louing to the brethren.] loue as brethren, be pitifull, be courteous,

9 Not rendring euill for euill, or railing for railing: but contrarywise blessing, knowing that yee are thereunto called, that ye should inherite a blessing.

10 For hee that will loue life, and see good dayes, let him refraine his tongue from euil, and his [Note: Psalms 34:13.] lips that they speake no guile:

11 Let him eschew euil and do good, let him seeke peace and ensue it.

[How to suffer.]

12 For the eyes of the Lord are ouer the righteous, and his eares are open vnto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is [Note: Greek: vpon.] against them that doe euill.

13 And who is hee that will harme you, if ye bee followers of that which is good?

14 But and if ye suffer for righteousnes sake, happy are ye, and be not [Note: Jeremiah 8:12-13.] afraid of their terrour, neither be troubled:

15 But sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts, & be ready alwayes to giue an answere to euery man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekenesse and [Note: Or, reuerence.] feare:

16 Hauing a good conscience, that whereas they speake euill of you, as of euill doers, they may bee ashamed that falsly accuse your good conuersation in Christ.

17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that yee suffer for well doing, then for euill doing.

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes, the iust for the vniust, that he might bring vs to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.

19 By which also he went and preached vnto the spirits in prison,

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah, while the Arke was a preparing: wherein few, that is, eight soules were saued by water.

21 The like figure whereunto, euen Baptisme, doth also now saue vs, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answere of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Iesus Christ.

22 Who is gone into heauen, and is on the right hand of God, Angels, and authorities, and powers being made subiect vnto him.

he singular loue of God towards vs, in making vs his sonnes:

3 Who therefore ought obediently to keepe his commaundements,

11 As also brotherly to loue one another.

1 Beholde, what manner of loue the Father hath bestowed vpon vs, that wee should be called the sonnes of God: therfore the world knoweth vs not, because it knewe him not.

2 Beloued, now are we the sonnes of God, and it doeth not yet appeare, what wee shall be: but wee know, that when he shall appeare, we shall bee like him: for we shall see him as he is.

3 And euery man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himselfe, euen as he is pure.

4 Whosoeuer committeth sinne, transgresseth also the lawe: for sinne is the transgression of the law.

5 And ye know that hee was manifested to take away our sinnes, and in him is no sinne.

6 Whosoeuer abideth in him, sinneth not: whosoeuer sinneth, hath not seene him, neither knowen him.

[Of true loue.]

7 Little children, let no man deceiue you: he that doth righteousnes, is righteous, euen as he is righteous.

8 He that committeth sinne, is of the deuill, for the deuill sinneth from the beginning: for this purpose the Sonne of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the deuill.

9 Whosoeuer is borne of God, doth not commit sinne: for his seede remaineth in him, and he cannot sinne, because he is borne of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the deuill: whosoeuer doeth not righteousnesse, is not of God, neither hee that loueth not his brother.

11 For this is the [Note: Or, commandement.] message that yee heard from the beginning, that wee should loue one another.

12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slewe his brother: and wherefore slewe hee him? because his owne workes were euill, and his brothers righteous.

13 Marueile not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

14 Wee know that wee haue passed from death vnto life, because wee loue the brethren: he that loueth not his brother, abideth in death.

15 Whosoeuer hateth his brother, is a murtherer, and yee knowe that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him.

16 Hereby perceiue wee the loue of God, because he layd downe his life for vs, and wee ought to lay downe our liues for the brethren.

17 But who so hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth vp his bowels of compassion from him; how dwelleth the loue of God in him?

18 My little children, let vs not loue in word, neither in tongue, but indeede and in trueth.

19 And hereby wee know that wee are of the trueth, and shall [Note: Greek: perswade.] assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemne vs, God is greater then our heart, and knoweth all things.

21 Beloued, if our heart condemne vs not, then haue wee confidence towards God.

22 And whatsoeuer we aske, wee receiue of him, because we keepe his commandement, and doe those things that

[Trie the spirits.]

are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandement, that we should beleeue on the Name of his Sonne Iesus Christ, and loue one another, as hee gaue vs commandement.

24 And hee that keepeth his commandements dwelleth in him, and hee in him: and hereby wee know that hee abideth in vs, by the spirit which hee hath giuen vs.

the Church of Sardis is reproued,

3 exhorted to repent, and threatned if hee doe not repent.

8 The Angel of the Church of Philadelphia

10 is approoued for his diligence and patience.

15 The Angel of Laodicea rebuked, for being neither hote nor colde,

19 and admonished to be more zealous.

20 Christ standeth at the doore, and knocketh.

1 And vnto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write, These things saith he that hath the seuen Spirits of God, & the seuen starres; I know thy workes, that thou hast a name that thou liuest, and art dead.

2 Be watchfull, and strengthen the things which remaine, that are ready to die: for I haue not found thy works perfect before God.

3 Remember therefore, how thou hast receiued and heard, and hold fast,

[The key of Dauid.]

and repent. [Note: 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10.] If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thiefe, and thou shalt not know what houre I will come vpon thee.

4 Thou hast a few names euen in Sardis, which haue not defiled their garments, and they shall walke with me in white: for they are worthy.

5 Hee that ouercommeth, the same shalbe clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the [Note: Revelation 20:12; Philippians 4:3.] booke of life, but I will confesse his name before my Father, and before his Angels.

6 Hee that hath an eare, let him heare what the Spirit saith vnto the Churches.

7 And to the Angel of the Church in Philadelphia write, These things saith he that is Holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of Dauid, he that openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth;

8 I know thy workes: behold, I haue set before thee an open doore, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my Name.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Iewes, and are not, but doe lie: behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feete, and to know that I haue loued thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keepe thee from the houre of temptation, which shall come vpon all the world, to try them that dwell vpon the earth.

11 Beholde, I come quickly, hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crowne.

12 Him that ouercommeth, will I make a pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall goe no more out: and I wil write vpon him the Name of my God, and the name of the Citie of my God, which is new Hierusalem, which commeth downe out of heauen from my God: And I will write vpon him my New name.

13 Hee that hath an eare, let him heare what the Spirit saith vnto the Churches.

14 And vnto the Angel of the Church [Note: Or, in Laodicea.] of the Laodiceans, write, These things saith the Amen, the faithfull and true witnesse, the beginning of the creation of God:

[Lukewarme. The foure beasts.]

15 I know thy workes, that thou art neither cold nor hot, I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art lukewarme, and neither cold nor hot, I wil spew thee out of my mouth:

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and haue need of nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poore, and blinde, and naked.

18 I counsell thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest bee rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakednesse doe not appeare, and anoint thine eyes with eye salue, that thou mayest see.

19 [Note: Proverbs 3:11; Hebrews 12:5.] As many as I loue, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the doore, and knocke: if any man heare my voyce, and open the doore, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 To him that ouercommeth, will I graunt to sit with mee in my throne, euen as I also ouercame, and am set downe with my Father in his throne.

22 Hee that hath an eare, let him heare what the Spirit saith vnto the Churches.

em of the certaintie of Christes comming to Iudgement, against those scorners who dispute against it:

8 warning the godly for the long patience of God, to hasten their repentance.

10 He describeth also the manner how the world shall bee destroyed:

11 exhorting them from the expectation thereof, to all holinesse of life:

15 And againe, to thinke the patience of God to tend to their saluation, as Paul wrote to them in his Epistles.

1 This second Epistle (beloued) I now write vnto you, in both which I stir vp your pure mindes by way of remembrance:

2 That yee may be mindfull of the wordes which were spoken before by the holy Prophets, and of the Commandement of vs the Apostles of the Lord and Sauiour:

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last dayes scoffers, walking after their owne lusts,

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his comming? For since the fathers fell asleepe, all things continue as they were fro the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heauens were of olde, and the earth [Note: Greek: consisting.] standing out of the water, and in the water,

6 Whereby the world that then was, being ouerflowed with water, perished.

7 But the heauens and the earth which are now, by the same word are

[The day of the Lord.]

kept in store, reserued vnto fire against the day of Iudgement, and perdition of vngodly men.

8 But (beloued) bee not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeeres, and a thousand yeeres as one day.

9 The Lord is not slacke cocerning his promise (as some men count slacknesse) but is long-suffring to vs-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord wil come as a thiefe in the night, in the which the heauens shall passe away with a great noise, and the Elements shall melt with feruent heate, the earth also and the works that are therin shalbe burnt vp.

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolued, What maner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conuersation, and godlinesse,

12 [Note: Or, hasting the comming.] Looking for and hasting vnto the comming of the day of God, wherein the heauens being on fire shalbe dissolued, and the Elements shall melt with feruent heat.

13 Neuerthelesse wee, according to his promise, looke for new heauens, and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousnesse.

14 Wherefore (beloued) seeing that ye looke for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blamelesse.

15 And account that the long suffering of the Lord is saluation, euen as our beloued brother Paul also, according to the wisedome giuen vnto him, hath written vnto you.

16 As also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be vnderstood, which they that are vnlearned and vnstable wrest, as they doe also the other Scriptures, vnto their owne destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloued, seeing yee know these things before, beware lest yee also being led away with the errour of the wicked, fall from your owne stedfastnesse.

18 But growe in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ: to him be glory both now and for euer. Amen.