2 Peter 2
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies. They will even deny the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
But there were indeed false prophets among the people of old, as there will be also among you false teachers, who will privately introduce pernicious heresies, denying even the Lord that bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction,
2 Many will follow their sensual ways, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned.
And many will follow their pernicious tenets, on whose account the way of truth will be reproached:
3 In their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation from of old is not idle, and their destruction will not slumber.
and by artful speeches they will make sale of you for gain. Whose judgement is long since hastening, and their destruction doth not slumber.
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus and committed them to chains of darkness to be kept for judgment; (Tartaroō g5020)
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 judgement; and if He spared not the old world, (Tartaroō g5020)
5 and if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, along with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
(but preserved Noah an eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, ) bringing a deluge upon the world of the ungodly;
6 and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes and made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way;
and reducing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha to ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those that should afterwards be impious;
7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, who was distressed by the sensual conduct of the lawless
and delivered righteous Lot grieved at the lewd conversation of the wicked:
8 (for as that righteous man dwelt among them, his righteous soul was tormented day after day over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard);
(for that good man by seeing and hearing their crimes, when he dwelt among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day with their
9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and how to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
iniquitous deeds) then the Lord knoweth how to deliver the pious from temptation, and to reserve the wicked to the day of judgement to be punished:
10 especially those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and who despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they do not tremble when they blaspheme glorious beings,
especially those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise authority; who, being audacious and self-willed, are not afraid to speak evil of dignities:
11 whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not bring a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.
whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, bring not a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.
12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like irrational beasts, creatures of instinct born for capture and destruction, and in the destruction of those beasts they will be destroyed,
But these men, like brute beasts naturally produced to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil of things which they do not understand, shall perish by their own corruption; receiving the reward of their unrighteousness:
13 receiving the wages of unrighteousness. Counting indulgence in the daytime as pleasure, they are stains and blemishes, openly indulging in their deceptions as they feast with you.
who account it a pleasure to riot even in the day; spots and disgraces; revelling in their frauds, while they partake of your feasts:
14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unstable souls. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
having eyes full of adultery, and which cannot be restrained from sin: ensnaring unstable souls, and having a heart practised in rapine; cursed people:
15 They have abandoned the straight path and gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.
who have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of iniquity;
16 But he received a rebuke for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and prevented the prophet's madness.
but was reproved for his transgression: for a dumb beast speaking with the voice of a man checked the madness of the prophet.
17 These men are springs without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom the thick gloom of darkness has been reserved forever. (questioned)
These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom thick darkness is reserved for ever. (questioned)
18 For they speak bombastic words of nonsense, and with sensual desires of the flesh they entice people who have truly escaped from others who live in error.
For when they speak swelling words of vanity, they ensnare in the lusts of the flesh, through their lasciviousness, those who had indeed withdrawn from such as deal in error;
19 They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption. For a man is a slave to whatever masters him.
promising them liberty, while they themselves are the slaves of corruption: for by whom any one is vanquished, by him he is also enslaved.
20 For if after they have escaped from the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these defilements and overcome, the last state is worse for them than the first.
For if, after they had escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and vanquished by them, their last state is worse than the first;
21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them.
for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than when they knew it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing herself, returns to wallowing in the mire.”
But it is happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog is returned to his own vomit, and, The swine that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
