You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near.

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name.

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back,

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who predicted the grace that would come to you searched and investigated carefully.

Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul,

Live as free people, not using your freedom as a pretext for evil, but as God’s slaves.

For you were going astray like sheep but now you have turned back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Let your beauty not be external – the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes –

For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands,

For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil.

But in fact, if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. But do not be terrified of them or be shaken.

Now it was for this very purpose that the gospel was preached to those who are now dead, so that though they were judged in the flesh by human standards they may live spiritually by God’s standards.

So then let those who suffer according to the will of God entrust their souls to a faithful Creator as they do good.

For thus an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided for you.

Therefore, I intend to remind you constantly of these things even though you know them and are well established in the truth that you now have.

Indeed, I will also make every effort that, after my departure, you have a testimony of these things.

When this voice was conveyed from heaven, we ourselves heard it, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.

and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others, when God brought a flood on an ungodly world,

(for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)