2 Peter 2
1 But false prophets also developed among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will sneak in pernicious denominations, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
But there were false prophets also in the nation, just as there will be false teachers among you, people who will secretly introduce ruinous divisions, disowning even the Lord who bought them, and bringing speedy ruin on themselves.
2 And many will follow their wantonness, because of whom the way of the truth will be blasphemed.
There will be many, too, who will follow their licentious courses, and cause the way of the truth to be maligned.
3 And they will exploit you in greed with fabricated words, whose judgment is not idle for long, and their destruction will not slumber.
In their covetousness they will try to make you a source of profit by their fabrications; but for a long time past their sentence has not been standing idle, nor their ruin slumbering.
4 For if God did not spare agents who sinned, but delivered them up to chains of darkness, having been cast into hell being reserved for judgment, (Tartaroō g5020)
Remember, God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them down to Tartarus, and consigned them to caverns of darkness, to be kept under guard for judgment. (Tartaroō g5020)
5 and he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, the eighth, a herald of righteousness, when he brought on a flood upon the world of the irreverent,
Nor did he spare the world of old; though he preserved Noah, the preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when he brought a flood on the godless world.
6 and he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, being reduced to ashes, having made an example of men who were going to be irreverent,
He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and reduced them to ashes, holding them up as a warning to the godless of what was in store for them;
7 and he rescued righteous Lot, being distressed by the conduct of the lawless in their licentiousness
but he rescued righteous Lot, whose heart was vexed by the wanton licentiousness of his neighbors;
8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them day after day, in the sight and hearing of their lawless deeds, it anguished his righteous soul),
for, seeing and hearing what he did, as he lived his righteous life among them, day after day, Lot’s righteous soul was tortured by their wicked doings.
9 the Lord knows how to rescue the pious out of temptation, and to hold in reserve unrighteous men being cut off for a day of judgment.
The Lord, therefore, knows how to deliver the pious from temptation, and to keep the wicked, who are even now suffering punishment, in readiness for ‘the day of judgment’ –
10 And especially those going rear of flesh in a degenerate lust, and who despise lordship. Reckless, self-willed men, they do not tremble when speaking evil of dignities.
especially those who, following the promptings of their lower nature, indulge their polluting passions and despise all control. Audacious and self-willed, they feel no awe of the celestial beings, maligning them,
11 Whereas agents, being greater in might and power, do not bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord.
even where angels, though excelling them in strength and power, do not bring against them a malignant charge before the Lord.
12 But these men, like irrational beasts of nature, having been born for capture and destruction, speaking evil at which things they do not understand, will be destroyed in their corruption,
These people, however, like animals without reason, intended by nature to be caught and killed – these people, I say, malign those of whom they know nothing, and will assuredly perish through their own corruption,
13 getting back a wage of unrighteousness. Men who consider soft living in the daytime to be pleasure, spots and blemishes reveling in their deceitfulness, feasting together with you,
suffering themselves, as the penalty for the suffering that they have inflicted. They think that pleasure consists in the self-indulgence of the moment. They are a stain and a disgrace, indulging, as they do, in their wanton revelry, even while joining you at your feasts.
14 having eyes full of adultery, and unceasing sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, children of a curse,
They have eyes only for adulteresses, eyes never tired of sin; they entice weak souls; their minds are trained to covet; they live under a curse.
15 having forsaken a straight path, they were led astray, men who followed the way of Balaam, son of Beor, who loved the wage of unrighteousness.
Leaving the straight road, they have gone astray and followed in the steps of Balaam, the son of Beor, who set his heart on the reward for wrongdoing,
16 But he had a rebuke of his own lawbreaking. A mute donkey, uttering in a man's voice, restrained the madness of the prophet.
but was rebuked for his offense. A dumb animal spoke with a human voice, and checked the prophet’s madness.
17 These men are waterless wells, and clouds driven by a fierce wind, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved into an age. (questioned)
These people are like springs without water, or mists driven before a gale; and for them the blackest darkness has been reserved.
18 For, uttering swollen things of vanity, they entice (to sensuality by lusts of flesh) those who actually escaped from those who live in error,
With boastful and foolish talk, they appeal to the passions of people’s lower nature, and, by their profligacy, entice those who are just escaping from the people who live such misguided lives.
19 promising them freedom, while they themselves are bondmen of corruption, for by what any man has been overcome, of this he has also been enslaved.
They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to corrupt habits; for a person is the slave of anything to which they give way.
20 For if, having escaped the defilements of the world by knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and, having been again entangled in these, they are overcome, the last things have become worse for them than the first.
If, after having escaped the polluting influences of the world, through knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, people are again entangled in them, and give way to them, their last state has become worse than their first.
21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
It would, indeed, have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn away from the holy command delivered to them.
22 But that of the true proverb has happened to them, The dog returning to his own vomit, and the sow that washed to wallowing in mire.
In their case is seen the truth of the proverb – ‘A dog returns to what it has vomited’ and ‘A sow after washing to her wallowing-place in the mud.’
