sothat the proofof your faith,[being] more preciousthan goldwhich is perishable,even thoughtestedby fire,may be foundto resultin praiseand gloryand honorat the revelationof JesusChrist;
"But He knowsthe wayI take;[When] He has triedme, I shall comeforthas gold.
Blessedis a manwhoperseveresunder trial;for once he has beenapproved,he will receivethe crownof lifewhich[the Lord] has promisedto thosewho loveHim.
"Behold,I have refinedyou, but not as silver;I have testedyou in the furnaceof affliction.
Beloved,do not be surprisedat the fiery ordealamongyou, which comesupon you for your testing,as thoughsome strange thingwere happeningto you;
"And I will bringthe thirdpartthrough the fire,Refinethem as silveris refined,And testthem as goldis tested.They will callon My name,And I will answerthem; I will say,They are My people,'And they will say,'The LORDis my God.'"
to thosewho by perseverancein doinggoodseekfor gloryand honorand immortality,eternallife;
The refiningpotis for silverand the furnacefor gold,But the LORDtestshearts.
"He will sitas a smelterand purifierof silver,and He will purifythe sonsof Leviand refinethem like goldand silver,so that they may presentto the LORDofferingsin righteousness.
eachman'sworkwill becomeevident;for the daywill showit becauseit is [to be] revealedwith fire,and the fireitselfwill testthe qualityof each man'swork.
Nowto Him who is ableto keepyou from stumbling,and to make you standin the presenceof His gloryblamelesswith great joy,
Thereforethussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Behold,I will refinethem and assaythem; For what[else] can I do,becauseof the daughterof My people?
For by theseHe has grantedto us His preciousand magnificentpromises,sothat by them you may becomepartakersof [the] divinenature,having escapedthe corruptionthat is in the worldby lust.
And comingto Him as to a livingstonewhich has been rejectedby men,but is choiceand preciousin the sightof God,
"His mastersaidto him, 'Well done,goodand faithfulslave.You were faithfulwith a few things,I will put you in chargeof many things;enterinto the joyof your master.'
Becauseyou have keptthe wordof My perseverance,I alsowill keepyou from the hourof testing,that [hour] which is aboutto comeupon the wholeworld,to testthosewho dwellon the earth.
Do not fearwhatyou are aboutto suffer.Behold,the devilis aboutto castsome of you into prison,sothat you will be tested,and you will havetribulationfor tendays.Be faithfuluntildeath,and I will giveyou the crownof life.
BEHOLD,HE IS COMINGWITH THE CLOUDS,and everyeyewill seeHim, eventhose whopiercedHim; and allthe tribesof the earthwill mournoverHim. Soit is to be. Amen.
Thereforedo not go on passing judgmentbeforethe time,[but wait] untilthe Lordcomeswhowill bothbring to lightthe things hiddenin the darknessand disclosethe motivesof [men's] hearts;and theneach man'spraisewill cometo him from God.
But Petersaidto him, "May your silverperishwith you, becauseyou thoughtyou could obtainthe giftof Godwith money!
"IfanyoneservesMe, he must followMe; and whereI am,thereMy servantwill be also;ifanyoneservesMe, the Fatherwill honorhim.
"Howcanyou believe,when you receivegloryfrom one anotherand you do not seekthe glorythat is from the [one and] onlyGod?
"Sellyour possessionsand giveto charity;makeyourselvesmoney beltswhich do not wearout, an unfailingtreasurein heaven,wherenothiefcomes nearnormothdestroys.
And Jesussaidto them, "TrulyI sayto you, that you who have followedMe, in the regenerationwhenthe Sonof Manwill siton His gloriousthrone,you alsoshall situpon twelvethrones,judgingthe twelvetribesof Israel.
"ThereforeMy heartwailsfor Moablike flutes;My heartalso wailslike flutesfor the menof Kir-heres.Thereforethey have lostthe abundanceit produced.
When thosericheswere lostthrough a badinvestmentand he had fathereda son,then therewas nothingto supporthim.
Howmuch betterit is to getwisdomthangold!And to getunderstandingis to be chosenabovesilver.
"My fruitis betterthangold,even puregold,And my yield[better] thanchoicestsilver.
"Thereforethe LORDGodof Israeldeclares,I did indeedsaythat your houseand the houseof your fathershould walkbeforeMe forever;but nowthe LORDdeclares,'Farbe it from Me-- for those who honorMe I will honor,and those who despiseMe will be lightlyesteemed.
I adviseyou to buyfrom Me goldrefinedby firesothat you may become rich,and whitegarmentssothat you may clotheyourself, and [that] the shameof your nakednesswill not be revealed;and eye salveto anointyour eyessothat you may see.
SimonPeter,a bond-servantand apostleof JesusChrist,To thosewho have receiveda faithof the same kindas ours,by the righteousnessof our Godand Savior,JesusChrist:
Thisprecious value,then,is for you who believe;but for thosewho disbelieve,"THE STONEWHICHTHE BUILDERSREJECTED,THISBECAMETHE VERYCORNER[stone],"
who are protectedby the powerof Godthroughfaithfor a salvationreadyto be revealedin the lasttime.
But he is a Jewwhois one inwardly;and circumcisionis that which is of the heart,by the Spirit,not by the letter;and his praiseis not from men,but from God.
You have triedmy heart;You have visited[me] by night;You have testedme and You findnothing;I have purposedthat my mouthwill not transgress.
"It will be justthe sameon the daythat the Sonof Manis revealed.
but gloryand honorand peaceto everyonewho doesgood,to the Jewfirstand alsoto the Greek.
For the anxious longingof the creationwaits eagerlyfor the revealingof the sonsof God.
Therefore,prepareyour mindsfor action, keep sober[in spirit], fix your hopecompletelyon the graceto be broughtto you at the revelationof JesusChrist.
but to the degreethat you sharethe sufferingsof Christ,keep on rejoicing,sothat alsoat the revelationof His gloryyou may rejoicewith exultation.
Therefore,I exhortthe eldersamongyou, as [your] fellow elderand witnessof the sufferingsof Christ,and a partakeralsoof the glorythat is to be revealed,
Therefore,beloved,since you lookfor these things,be diligentto be foundby Him in peace,spotlessand blameless,
But ifthe womanhas not defiledherself and is clean,she will then be freeand conceivechildren.
"Surelythereis a minefor silverAnd a placewhere they refinegold.
