The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ Of the day of the Lord, whose long tarying so saluacion

CAPI. III.

THys is the seconde epistle that I nowe [unspec A] wryte vnto you dearely beloued, wher¦wyth I stere vp your syncere mynde, by put¦tyng you in remembraunce, that ye may be myndefull of the wordes (whiche were tolde before of the holy Prophetes) and also the commaundement of vs whiche be Apostles of the Lord and sauiour.

This fyrst vnderstande, that there shal come in y^• last dayes, mockers (in dysceaytful¦nes) which wyl walke after their owne lust{is}, & say: Where is the promes of hys cōmyng? For sence the fathers dyed, all thynges con∣tynue [unspec B] in the same estate wherin they were at the begynnynge. For thys they know not (& that wylfully) how that the heaues a great whyle ago were, and the earth out of the wa¦ter appeared vp thorow the water, by the worde of God: by the whyche thynges the world that then was, peryshed, beyng ouer runne with water. ‡ But the heauēs & earth which are now, be kept by his word in store, and reserued vnto fyre, agaynst the day of iudgemēt and perdicion of vngodly mē.

Derely beloued, be not ignoraūt of thys one thynge, howe that ‡ one daye is with the Lord, as a thousand yeare, and a thousande yeare as one day. The Lorde that hath pro∣mysed, is not slacke, as some mē count slack¦nes: but is pacient to vs warde: for asmuch as he wolde haue no man lost, but wyll re∣ceyue al men to repentaunce.

Neuerthelesse ‡ the day of the Lord wyll [unspec C] come as a thefe in the nyght, in the whyche daye, the heauens shal passe away in maner of a tēpest, and the elemētes shal melt wyth heat: the earth also and the workes that are therin, shal burne. Seyng then that al these thynges shall peryshe, what maner persons ought ye to be in holy conuersacion & godly¦nes: lokyng for, and hastyng vnto the com∣myng of the daye of God, by whom the hea∣uens shall perysh with fyre, & the elementes shal melt wyth heate? Neuertheles, we (ac∣cordyng to his promes) loke for a newe hea∣uen and a new earth, wherin dwelleth righ∣tousnes. [unspec D]

Wherfore derely beloued, seying that ye loke for such thinges, be deligēt that ye may be founde of hym in peace, wythout sporte and vndefyled. And suppose that the longe suffrynge of the Lord is saluacyon, euen as our dearely beloued brother Paule also (ac∣cordyng to the wysdome gyuen vnto hym) hath wrytten vnto you, ye, almoste in euery Epistle, speakyng of suche thynges: among

which are many thinges harde to be vnder∣stāde, which they that are vnlearned & vn∣stable, peruert, as they do also the other scri∣ptures vnto their owne destruccion. Ye ther¦fore beloued, (seynge ye be warned afore hād) beware, least ye, wyth other men be al∣so plucked awaye thorowe the errour of the wycked, and fall from your owne sted fast∣nes: but grow in grace, and in the knowled∣ge of oure Lorde and sauyoure IESVS Chryste. To whom be glory both nowe and for euer.

Amen.

Notes

• Actes. x•• •• 〈◊〉〈◊〉, P••te. 2. a Iudi••. ••. c i. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••. c ii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• ‡

  Iob 〈◊〉〈◊〉 b Esay. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••
• ‡

  Psal 〈…〉〈…〉
• ‡

  〈…〉〈…〉
• Apo•••• xxi. a