2 Peter — The Coverdale Bible (1535)

2 Peter is the letter against false teachers and on the coming day of the Lord. In Coverdale’s Bible of 1535 it stands in the New Testament under the heading “The seconde Epistle of the Apostle S. Peter”. Coverdale’s summary of the chapters stands before the text; the 1535 Bible has no verse numbers, so the text keeps its own paragraphs, in 3 chapters, with the marginal notes and references printed after each chapter.

The summe of this epistle.

• Chap. I. For so moch as the power of God hath geuen them all thinges pertayninge vnto life, he exhorteth thē to flye the corrupcion of worldly lust, to make their callynge ⟨illegible⟩ore with good workes and frutes of faith. He maketh mencion of his owne death, declaringe the LORDE Iesus to be the true sonne of God, as he himself hath sene vpon the mount.
• Chap. II. He prophecieth of false teachers, and sheweth their punyshment.
• Chap. III. He exhorteth men to bewarre of soch as wolde make thē beleue, that the daye of the LORDE were slacke in commynge: prayeth them to lede a godly life, and to loke verely for the commynge of the LORDE, whose lōge tarienge is saluacion, and because he wolde haue no man lost, but wolde receaue all ⟨illegible⟩ to repentaunce.

Chapter 1

SYmon Peter a seruaūt and an Apostle of Iesus Christ.

Vnto thē which haue optayned like faith with vs in the righteousnes that commeth of oure God, and Sa⟨illegible⟩oure Iesus Christ.

⁽¹⁾Grace and peace be multiplied with you thorow the knowlege of God and of Iesus Christ oure LORDE.

For so moch as his godly power hath geuen vs all thinges (that pertayne vnto life and godlynes) thorow the knowlege of him that hath called vs by his owne glorie and power, wherby the excellent and most greate promyses are geuē vnto vs: namely, that ye by the same shulde be ⁽²⁾ partakers of the godly nature, yf ye flye the corrupte lust of the worlde: Geue ye all youre diligence therfore here vnto, and in youre faith mynister vertue: in vertue, knowlege: in knowlege, temperancy: in temperancy, pacience: in pacience, godlynes: in godlynes, brotherly loue: in brotherly loue, generall loue. For yf these thinges be plenteous in you, they will not let you be ydle nor vnfrutefull in yᵉ knowlege of oure LORDE Iesus Christ. But he that lacketh these thinges, is blynde, & gropeth for the waye with the hāde, and hath forgotten, that he was clensed from his olde synnes.

Wherfore (brethrē) geue the more diligence, to make youre callynge and eleccion sure: for yf ye do soch thinges, ye shal not fall, and by this meanes shal there be plenteously mynistred vnto you an entrynge in vnto yᵉ euerlastinge kyngdome of oure LORDE and Sauioure Iesus Christ.

[C] Therfore wil I not be necligēt to put you allwayes in remembraunce of soch thinges: though ye knowe them youre selues, and be stablished in the present trueth. Notwithstondinge I thinke it mete, as lōge as I am in this ⁽³⁾ tabernacle, to stere you vp by puttinge you in remembraunce. For I am sure, that I must shortly put of my tabernacle, euen as oure LORDE Iesus Christ hath shewed vnto me. Yet wyl I do my diligēce, that allwaye after my departynge ye maye haue wherwith to kepe these thinges in remembraunce.

For we folowed not deceaueable fables, whan we declared vnto you the power and commynge of oure LORDE Iesus Christ: ⁽⁴⁾ but with oure eyes we sawe his maiestie, whan he receaued of God the father honoure & prayse, by a voyce that came vnto him from the excellent glory, after this maner: ⁽⁵⁾ This is my deare sonne, in whom I haue delyte. And this voyce herde we broughte downe frō heauen, whan we were with him on the holy mount.

We haue also a sure worde of prophecie, and ye do well that ye take hede thervnto, as vnto a lighte ⁽⁶⁾ that shyneth in a darke place vntyll the daye dawne, and the daye starre aryse in youre hertes. And this shal ye knowe first, that no prophecie in the scripture is done of eny priuate interpretacion. ⁽⁷⁾ For the prophecie was neuer broughte by the wyll of man, but the holy men of God spake, as they were moued of yᵉ holy goost.

Notes to Chapter 1

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁵⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁶⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁷⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Chapter 2

BVt there were false prophetes also amonge the people, ⁽¹⁾ euen as there shalbe false teachers amonge you likewyse, which preuely shal brynge in damnable sectes, euen denyenge the LORDE that hath boughte them, and shal brynge vpon them selues swift damnacion: and ⁽²⁾ many shal folowe their damnable wayes, by whō the waye of the trueth shal be euell spokē of: and thorow cuvetousnes shal they with fayned wordes make marchaundise of you, vpō whō the iudgment is not necligēt in tarienge of olde, and their damnacion slepeth not.

⁽³⁾For yf God spared not the angels that synned, but cast them downe with the cheynes of darknes in to hell, and delyuered thē ouer to be kepte vnto iudgment: ⁽⁴⁾ Nether spared the olde worlde, but saued Noe the preacher of righteousnes himselfe beynge yᵉ eight, and brought the floude vpō the worlde of the vngodly: ⁽⁵⁾ And turned the cities of Sodom and Gomor into aszhes, ouerthrue them, damned them, and made on them an ensample, vnto those that after shulde lyue vngodly: And delyuered iust Loth which was vexed with the vngodly conuersacion of yᵉ wicked. For in so moch as he was righteous and dwelt amonge them, so that he must nedes se it and heare it, his righteous soule was greued from to daye to daye with their vnlaufull dedes. ⁽⁶⁾ The LORDE knoweth how to delyuer the godly out of tentacion, and how to reserue the vniust vnto the daye of iudgment for to be punyshed: but specially them that walke after the flesh in yᵉ lust [C] of vnclennes, and despyse the rulers: beynge presumptuous, stubborne, and feare not to speake euell of thē yᵗ are in auctorite ⁽⁷⁾ whā the angels yet which are greater both in power and might, beare not that blasphemous iudgment agaynst them of the LORDE. ⁽⁸⁾ But these are as yᵉ brute beestes, which naturally are broughte forth to be takē and destroyed: ⁽⁹⁾ speakynge euell of yᵗ they knowe not, and shal perishe in their owne destruccion, and so receaue yᵉ rewarde of vnrighteousnes.

They counte it pleasure to lyue deliciously for a season: Spottes are they and fylthynes: lyuynge at pleasure and in disceaueable wayes: feastynge wᵗ that which is youres, hauynge eyes full of aduoutrye, and cā not ceasse from synne, entysinge vnstable soules: hauynge an hert exercysed wᵗ couetousnes: they are cursed children, and haue forsaken the righte waye, and are gone astraye: folowinge the waye of ⁽¹⁰⁾ Balaam the sonne of Bosor, which loued the rewarde of vnrighteousnes: but was rebuked of his iniquyte. The tame and domme beast spake with mās voyce, & forbad the foolishnes of yᵉ prophet.

These are welles without water, & ⁽¹¹⁾ cloudes [D] caried aboute of a tēpest: to whō yᵉ myst of darknesse is reserued foreuer. For they speake yᵉ proude wordes of vanite, vnto yᵉ vttemost, and entyse thorow wantannes vnto yᵉ luste of the flesh, euen them that were cleane escaped, and now walke in erroure: and promyse them libertye, where as they them selues are seruauntes off corrupcion. ⁽¹²⁾ For off whom so euer a man is ouercome, vnto the same is he in bondage. ⁽¹³⁾ For yf they (after they haue escaped from the fylthynes of the worlde, thorow the knowlege of yᵉ LORDE and Sauioure Iesus Christ) are yet tangled agayne therin and ouercome, ⁽¹⁴⁾ then is the latter ende worse vnto them then the begynnynge. For it had bene better for them, not to haue knowne the waye of righteousnes, then after they haue knowne it, ⁽¹⁵⁾ to turne from the holy commaundemēt, that was geuen vnto them. It is happened vnto them acordynge vnto the true prouerbe: ⁽¹⁶⁾ yᵉ dogg is turned to his vomyte agayne and yᵉ sowe that was waszhed, vnto hir walowynge in the myre.

Notes to Chapter 2

⁽¹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽²⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽³⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

⁽⁴⁾ Gen. 7. a

⁽⁵⁾ Gen. 19. c

⁽⁶⁾ 1. Cor. 10. b

⁽⁷⁾ Iudae. 1. b

⁽⁸⁾ Iere. 12. a

⁽⁹⁾ Iudae. 1. b

⁽¹⁰⁾ Num. 22.23.24.

⁽¹¹⁾ Iudae. ⟨illegible⟩. c

⁽¹²⁾ Ioh. 8. c Rom. 6. b

⁽¹³⁾ Luc. 9 f

⁽¹⁴⁾ Mat. 12. c Heb. 6. a

⁽¹⁵⁾ Act. 5. a

⁽¹⁶⁾ Pro. 26 b Eccli. 34. d

Chapter 3

[A] THis is the seconde Epistle that I now wryte vnto you (ye dearly beloued) wherin I stere vp and warne youre pure mynde, that ye maye remembre the wordes, which were tolde before of the holy prophetes: and also the commaundement of vs, that be the Apostles of the LORDE and Sauioure.

This first vnderstonde, ⁽¹⁾that in the last dayes there shal come mockers, which wyll walke after their awne lustes, & saye: ⁽²⁾ Where is the promes of his commynge? For sence the fathers fell on slepe, euery thinge contynueth as it was from the begynnynge of yᵉ creature. This they knowe not (and that wylfully) how that the heauens were afore tyme also, and the earth out of the water, & was in the water by the worde of God, ⁽³⁾ yet was the worlde at that tyme destroyed by the same with the floude. But the heauens which are yet, and yᵉ earth, are kepte in stoare by his worde, to be reserued ⁽⁴⁾ vnto fyre agaynst the daye of iudgment and damnacion of vngodlymen.

[B] Dearly beloued, be not ignoraunt of this one thinge, ⁽⁵⁾ how that one daye is with the LORDE as a thousande yeare: and a thousande yeare as one daye. The LORDE is not slacke to fulfyll his promes (as some mē counte slacknesse) but is ⁽⁶⁾ paciēt to vs warde, ⁽⁷⁾ and wyl not that eny mā shulde be lost, but that euery man shulde amende himselfe. Neuertheles ⁽⁸⁾ the daye of the LORDE shal come euen as a these in the night: in the which (daye) the heauens shal perishe with a greate noyse, and the Elementes shal melte with heate, and the earth and yᵉ workes that are therin, shal burne.

Yf all these thinges shal perishe, what maner persons then ought ye to be in holy cōuersacion and godlynes, lokynge for and hastynge vnto the commynge of the LORDE? In the which the heauens shal perishe with fyre, and the elementes shal melt with heate. Neuertheles ⁽⁹⁾ we loke for a new heauen and a new earth (acordynge to his promes) wherin dwelleth righteousnes.

Wherfore dearly beloued, seynge that ye [C] loke for soch thinges, be diligent, yᵗ ye maye be founde before him in peace without spot and vndefyled: and counte the long sufferynge of oure LORDE youre saluacion, Euen as oure dearly beloued brother Paul (acordinge to the wyszdome geuē vnto him) wrote vnto you: yee speakinge ther of allmost in all Epistles, wherin are many thinges harde to be vnderstonde, which they that are vnlerned and vnstable, peruerte, as they do the other scriptures also, to their awne dānacion.

Ye therfore beloued, seynge ye knowe it before hande, bewarre, lest ye also be plucte awaye thorow the erroure of yᵉ wicked, and fall from yoʳ owne sted fastnes. But growe in grace, and in the knowlege of oure LORDE and Sauioure Iesus Christ. To him be prayse now and for euer, Amen.

Notes to Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ 1. Tim. 4▪ a 2. Tim. 3. a Iudae. 1 c

⁽²⁾ Eze. 12. d

⁽³⁾ Gen 7. d

⁽⁴⁾ 2. Tess. 1. b

⁽⁵⁾ Psal. 89 a Eze. 12. d 1. Pet. 4. a

⁽⁶⁾ Rom. 2. a

⁽⁷⁾ Eze. 18. d

⁽⁸⁾ Mat▪ 24. d ⟨illegible⟩ Tess. 5. a Apoc. 3. a

⁽⁹⁾ ⟨illegible⟩

Colophon

This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.

2 places illegible in the Cambridge copy were filled from Samuel Bagster’s 1838 page-for-page reprint of the edition (archive.org, holyscriptures00cove), only where the reprint’s reading is certain; each fill is listed on this room’s Supplied Readings page; 16 places are still marked ⟨illegible⟩ (3 in the text, 13 in the marginal notes).

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