2 UPhetro 2
1 Kodwa kwakukhona labaprofethi bamanga phakathi kwabantu, njengoba lakini kuzakuba khona abafundisi bamanga, abazangenisa ngensitha imfundiso ezehlukanisayo ezichithayo, bephika leNkosi eyabathengayo, bezehlisela ukuchitheka okuphangisayo,
But just as there were false prophets among the people then, there will be false teachers among you. They subtly introduce false and destructive teachings, even denying the Lord who redeemed them, quickly bringing destruction on themselves.
2 labanengi bazalandela incithakalo zabo; okungabo indlela yeqiniso izahlanjazwa,
Many will follow their immoral perversions, and because of them people will condemn the way of truth.
3 njalo emhawini ngamazwi alungisiweyo bazakwenza inzuzo ngani; okulahlwa kwabo kwakudala kakulibalanga, lencithakalo yabo kayiwozeli.
They will greedily exploit you with false tales. However, they are already condemned: their sentence has been hanging over them for a long time, their destruction won't be postponed.
4 Ngoba uba uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingilosi ezonayo, kodwa eziphosela esihogweni ezinikela emaketaneni obumnyama ukuze zigcinelwe isigwebo; (Tartaroō g5020)
For God didn't even spare the angels when they sinned. He threw them into Tartarus, holding them in dark pits ready for judgment. (Tartaroō g5020)
5 njalo kaliyekelanga ilizwe lendulo, kodwa walondoloza owesificaminwembili uNowa umtshumayeli wokulunga, mhla eletha uzamcolo emhlabeni wabeyisa uNkulunkulu;
God didn't spare the ancient world either, but he protected Noah who told people about the God who did right. He was one of the eight who were saved when God sent a flood upon a world of evil people.
6 ngokuyichitha eyitshisa imizi yeSodoma leGomora waseyilahla, waseyenza isibonelo kulabo abazakweyisa uNkulunkulu;
God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to total destruction, burning them to ash, as an example of what will happen to those who live evil lives.
7 wasemophula uLothi olungileyo, owahlutshwa yikuhamba ngamanyala kwabangalunganga;
But God rescued Lot because he was a good man, sickened by the disgusting immorality of his neighbors.
8 ngoba lowo olungileyo, ehlala phakathi kwabo, ngokubona lokuzwa insuku ngensuku wazwisa ubuhlungu umphefumulo wakhe olungileyo ngemisebenzi yabo engelamthetho;
(Lot lived among them, but he did what was good and right. He saw and heard what they did day after day, and their wickedness tormented him.)
9 iNkosi iyakwazi ukubophula ekulingweni labo abamkhonzayo uNkulunkulu, lokubagcina abangalunganga kuze kube lusuku lwesigwebo, bajeziswe;
As you can see, the Lord is able to rescue from their troubles those who respect him, and to keep the wicked until the day of judgment when their punishment is completed.
10 kodwa ikakhulu bona abalandela inyama enkanukweni engcolileyo, labadelela ubukhosi. Abangakhathaliyo, abalenkani, kabesabi ukuhlambaza ubukhosi;
This is especially so for those who follow their corrupt human desires, and contemptuously disregard authority. Arrogant and proud, they're not even afraid to defame heavenly beings.
11 kanti ingilosi, ezinkulu ngamandla langengalo, kazilethi isigwebo senhlamba ukumelana labo phambi kweNkosi.
Angels, on the other hand, even though they are stronger and more powerful, don't disparage them before the Lord.
12 Kodwa laba, njengezinyamazana ngemvelo ezingelangqondo ezazalelwa ukubanjwa lokubulawa, bahlambaza izinto abangazaziyo, bazabhujiswa ekuboleni kwazo,
These people are like mindless beasts, produced like farm animals to be captured and slaughtered. They condemn things they don't know anything about, and just like animals they will be destroyed.
13 bazakwemukela umvuzo wokungalungi, abathi kuyintokozo ukuminza emini; bayisici loyangiso, bejabula enkohlisweni zabo, besidla idili lani,
They will be paid back in harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of fun is to commit their evil lusts in broad daylight. They are stains and blemishes on your community. They enjoy their deceptive pleasures even while they eat together with you.
14 balamehlo agcwele ubufebe, labangayekeli isono, bayenga imiphefumulo ebuthakathaka, belenhliziyo ezejwayele ubuhwaba, abantwana besiqalekiso;
They're always on the lookout for adulterous relationships—they just can't stop sinning. They seduce the vulnerable; they have trained themselves in greed; they are offspring under a curse.
15 batshiye indlela eqondileyo baduha, balandela indlela kaBalami kaBosori, owathanda inzuzo yokungalungi,
They have abandoned the right path and went astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved to be paid for doing evil.
16 kodwa waba lokusolwa kwesakhe isiphambeko; ubabhemi oyisimungulu, ekhuluma ngelizwi lomuntu, wanqanda ubuhlanya bomprofethi.
But he was told off for his evil actions—a dumb donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet's foolishness!
17 Laba bayimithombo engelamanzi, amayezi aqhutshwa yisiphepho, okugcinelwe bona ubumnyama bomnyama kuze kube phakade. (questioned)
People like these are springs without water, mists blown away by the wind. They are destined for blackest darkness—forever. (questioned)
18 Ngoba bakhuluma okokuziqakisa okweze, babayenga ngenkanuko zenyama langobufebe labo abaphunyuke sibili kubo abahamba ekuduheni,
Inflated with their own nonsense, they appeal to sensual desires, luring back into immorality those who have only just escaped from those who live in error.
19 bebathembisa inkululeko, bona uqobo beyizigqili zokubola; ngoba lowo umuntu ehlulwe ngaye, lakuye wenziwa isigqili.
They promise them freedom, even though they themselves are slaves to depravity. “You are a slave to whatever conquers you.”
20 Ngoba uba sebephunyukile ekungcoleni komhlaba ngolwazi lweNkosi loMsindisi uJesu Kristu, besebebuya behilelwa behlulwa yikho, izinto zokucina sezibe zimbi kubo kulezokuqala.
If people manage to escape from the evil influence of the world by knowing the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then get tangled up in sin again and are defeated, they are worse off than they were in the first place.
21 Ngoba ngabe kwaba ngcono kubo uba babengayazanga indlela yokulunga, kulokuthi sebeyazile bafulathele umlayo ongcwele onikelwe kibo.
It would have been better not to have known the right way of truth, than to have known it and then turn away from the sacred instructions they'd been given.
22 Kodwa kubehlele lokhu okwesaga esiqinisileyo esithi: Inja ibuyela kwawayo amahlanzo; lengulube ensikazi egezileyo ekugiqikeni edakeni.
This proverb has come true for them: “The dog has returned to its own vomit, and the washed pig has gone back to rolling in the mud.”
