2 Peter 2

1 Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

2 Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed.

3 In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction will not sleep.

4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

5 if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;

6 if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly;

7 and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless

8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

9 if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

10 Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.

11 Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.

12 These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they will be destroyed.

13 They will receive the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you.

14 Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.

15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

16 But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

17 These men are springs without water and clouds driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is forever reserved for them.

18 With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who have truly escaped from others who live in error.

19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

20 If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first.

21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them.

22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

1 ¶ But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

3 ¶ And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

7 ¶ And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;)

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

10 ¶ But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous [are they], selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, [as] they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots [they are] and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

18 For when they speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

1 And there were also false prophets among the people, as there shall be false teachers among you, which shall bring in corrupt sects, and shall deny the Lord that bought them, and shall bring upon themselves swift condemnation.

2 And many shall follow their destruction: by whom shall the way of truth be blasphemed.

3 And by covetousness with fancied words shall they deal with you: of whom the judgment of long time is not tardy, and their condemnation doth not sleep.

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them out into hell with chains of darkness, and delivered them up to be judged;

5 And spared not the former world, but preserved Noah the preacher of righteousness, and delivered and brought the flood upon the world of the wicked;

6 And hath reduced the cities of Sodom and Gornorrah to ashes, and turned them back, and condemned them, to set an example unto the wicked that should come after;

7 And hath redeemed righteous Lot, to whom the wicked men did all the harm with their lewdness;

8 For while he was righteous, and dwelt among them, to see and to hear, they tormented the righteous soul from day to day with their unrighteous works.

9 The LORD knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, but to keep the unrighteous unto the day of judgment, to chastise them;

10 But most of all they that walk after the flesh in unclean lusts, and despise the kingdom, being foolish, stubborn, not trembling to blaspheme the majesties,

11 If the angels, which have greater strength and might, endure not the blasphemous judgment against them from the LORD.

12 But they are like the unreasoning beasts, which are born by nature to be caught and slain, blaspheming, knowing nothing of it, and shall perish in their. corruptible nature

13 And bring away the reward of iniquity. They take pleasure in temporal pleasures; they are a disgrace and a vice; they eat of your alms, they eat of yours,

14 Have eyes full of adultery, do not let sin hinder them, lure to themselves the frivolous souls, have a heart cunning with avarice, accursed people,

15 Forsaking the right way, and going astray, and following in the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, to whom beloved is the reward of iniquity,

16 And he had a punishment of his transgression, because the dumb beast of burden spake with the voice of man, and rebuked the prophet's folly.

17 These are fountains without water, and clouds compassed about with the whirlwind: for whom to keep is darkness for ever.

18 For they speak proud words, when there is nothing behind, and provoke by fornication to carnal lusts them that were rightly escaped, and now walk in error,

19 Promising them liberty, if they themselves be servants of destruction. For of whom a man is overcome, of him is he become the servant.

20 For if they have escaped the filth of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST, and are again plunged into it, and overcome, the latter things are worse with them than the former.

21 For it were better for them that they had not known the way of righteousness, than that they had known it, and turned away from the holy commandment which was given them.

22 There hath befallen them the true saying, The dog eateth again, what he has fed, and: The sow rolls again in the excrement after the glut.