2 Peter 1

A Greeting from Peterⓘ

Greeting and God's gifts¹Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

²Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Partakers of the Divine Natureⓘ

³His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own^a glory and excellence. ⁴Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Add virtue upon virtue to your faith⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

¹⁰Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble, ¹¹and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter's reminder before his death¹²Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. ¹³I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body,^{b 14}because I know that this tent will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ¹⁵And I will make every effort to ensure that after my departure, you will be able to recall these things at all times.

Eyewitnesses of His Majestyⓘ

Eyewitnesses and the word of prophecy¹⁶For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. ¹⁷For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”^{c 18}And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

¹⁹We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from oneʼs own interpretation. ²¹For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.