20 But do ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most 21 holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in

the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus 22 Christ unto eternal life. And some rebuke when they con23 tend; and others save, snatching them out of the fire; and on others have compassion with fear, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

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But to him that is able to keep them from falling, and to present them faultless before the presence of his glory 25 with exceeding joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, is glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for ever. Amen.

Ver. 24. - them. The oldest and best manuscripts, including the Vatican and the Sinaitic, with the most important versions, read you, which Tischendorf will probably adopt in his eighth edition. In his seventh edition he erroneously supposed the reading them to be supported by the Vatican manuscript. — A.

THE REVELATION OF JOHN.

I. THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show to his servants what must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant 2 John; who bore witness of the word of God, and of the 3 testimony of Jesus Christ, of whatever he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things written therein; for the time is at hand.

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John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be to you, and peace, from him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven spirits which are 5 before his throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him that loveth us, and washed us 6 from our sins in his own blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to God his Father, to him be the glory and the dominion for ever. Amen.

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Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they who pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God, he who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. I John, your brother, and companion in the affliction and kingdom and endurance in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, on account of the word of God, and the 10 testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's

day; and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trum11 pet, saying: What thou seest, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardes, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

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And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me; and having turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, 13 and in the midst of the candlesticks one like to a son of man, clothed with a garment reaching down to the feet, 14 and girded at the breasts with a golden girdle. His head

and his hairs were white as white wool, as snow; and his 15 eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet were like fine

brass, as if burning in a furnace; and his voice was as 16 the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his 17 strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead;

and he laid his right hand on me, saying, Fear not; I am 18 the first and the last, and he that liveth; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore; and I have the 19 keys of death and the underworld. Write therefore the

things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and 20 the things which shall be after these; the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches.

II. To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden can2 dlesticks: I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy endurance, and that thou canst not bear evil men; and thou didst try those who say they are apostles, and are not, and 3 didst find them liars; and thou hast endurance, and hast

borne on account of my name, and hast not become weary. 4 But I have this against thee, that thou hast left thy first 5 love. Remember therefore whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come to thee, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, un6 less thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of my God.

8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived 9 again: I know thy affliction and poverty, (but thou art rich,) and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, 10 and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer. Behold, now, the Devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye will have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death.

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12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamus write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged 13 sword: I know where thou dwellest, where the throne

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of Satan is; and thou holdest fast my name, and didst not deny my faith, even in the days in which Antipas was my witness, my faithful one, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

But I have a few things against thee; thou hast there them that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling-block in the way of the sons of Israel, and to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit forni15 cation. So thou also hast men holding the teaching of

16 the Nicolaitans, in like manner. Repent therefore; or else I will come to thee quickly, and will make war with them with the sword of my mouth.

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He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, I will give of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like a flame 19 of fire, and his feet are like fine brass: I know thy works, and love, and faith, and service, and thy endurance, and 20 that thy last works are more than the first. But I have

this against thee, that thou sufferest thy wife Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, and she teacheth and seduceth my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacri21 ficed to idols. And I gave her time to repent, and she will 22 not repent of her fornication. Behold, I will cast her into a

bed, and those who together with her commit adultery into 23 great distress, unless they repent of her deeds. And her children I will slay with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he who searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give to every one of you according to your 24 works. But to you I say, the rest who are in Thyatira, as many as have not this teaching, such as have not known "the depths" of Satan, as they speak; I put upon 25 you no other burden; but that which ye have, hold fast till I come.

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And he that overcometh, and he that keepeth my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter are broken to shivers, as I also have received 28 of my Father. And I will give him the morning-star.

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He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.