Kefa II 1-3

Orthodox Jewish Bible

1 Shimon Kefa, an eved and Shliach of Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua: to the ones having obtained, with us [Shlichim of Moshiach], equally precious [orthodox Jewish] emunah (faith) [the Emunah of the true Dat HaYehudit] in the Tzedek Hashem [Dan 9:24] of Eloheinu and Moshieinu Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

² Chesed Hashem and Shalom Hashem to you abundantly in the da’as (personal, saving knowledge) of Hashem and Adoneinu Yehoshua.

³ As the gevurat Hashem (the power of G-d) has given us everything for Chayyim (life) and chasidus through the da’as (personal, saving knowledge) of the One Who bestows on us the kri’ah (calling) to His own Kavod (Glory) and Tzidkanut (Righteousness see 1:5-7; 2:5,21; 3:13)

⁴ So Hashem has given us precious havtachot gedolot (great promises 3:4,9,13 cf.2:19) that through these promises you might become [regenerate] deveykus participants with the life of the teva haelohi (divine nature, cf Yn 1:13], having escaped the [degenerate] Olam Hazeh’s lust engendered corruption.

⁵ For this very reason, you must apply all zerizut (diligence) to supply emunah with midah hatov (the attribute of virtue), and midah hatov with da’as (knowledge),

⁶ And da’as with shlitah atzmit (self-control), and shlitah atzmit with chozek (fortitude) and chozek with chasidus (piety),

⁷ And chassidus with ahavah shel achvah (brotherly love), and ahavah shel achvah with ahavah (agape).

⁸ For if these midos are in you increasingly, they will forestall you from being batlanim (idlers) and lo poreh (unfruitful) in the da’as (personal saving knowledge) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua.

⁹ For the one with whom these middos chasidus (qualities of piety) are not present is an ivver (blind man), being shortsighted, having forgotten the tohorah (cleansing) of his past averos.

¹⁰ Therefore, Achim b’Moshiach, be eagerly diligent to make your kri’ah (summons) and bechirah (election) sure, for, if you do these things, you will never fall over a michshol (stumbling block).

¹¹ For thus will be richly provided for you the entrance into the Malchut Olam of Adoneinu and Moshieinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

¹² Therefore, it is my tachlis (purpose, final end) always to remind you concerning these things, even though you have da’as of them and have been stabilized in HaEmes that you have.

¹³ But I consider it befitting, as long as I am in this ohel, to arouse you with a tizkoret (reminder),

¹⁴ Als (since) I know that the putting off of my mishkan is imminent, as indeed Adoneinu Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua made clear to me.

¹⁵ And also I am eager to cause you to always possess the zichron (memory) of these things after my exodus. [T.N. Written shortly before his death al kiddush ha-Shem for his Moshiach. See Bodmer papyrus p72 showing early attestation of this authentic last will and testament of Kefa whom Nero caused to be killed.]

¹⁶ For we had not followed cleverly crafted aggadot or doichek (farfetched) bubbemeises or reid (hearsay) when we made known to you the gevurah (miraculous power) of Adoneinu Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua and the Bi’as HaMoshiach of him; no, we had been edei re’iyah (eyewitnesses) of Moshiach’s majestic gedulah (greatness).

¹⁷ For having received from Elohim HaAv kavod va’oz, the bat kol was conveyed to Moshiach by the Majestic Glory, "ZEH BENI AHUVI ASHER BO CHAFATSTI" ("This is my Son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased” TEHILLIM 2:7; BERESHIS 22:2; YESHAYAH 42:1).

¹⁸ And this bat kol we heard out of Shomayim, having been brought with Moshiach upon the Har HaKodesh.

¹⁹ And we have the Dvar HaNevu’ah (Word of Prophecy) made more sure, to which you do well in giving heed as to a menorah shining in a place of choshech until HaYom [of Olam Habah 3:18] dawns and the Kochav (Star BAMIDBAR 24:17) haNogah (of Brightness, Venus) rises in your levavot (hearts).

²⁰ Knowing this first: that every nevu’ah (prophecy) of the Kitvei Hakodesh is not of one’s own interpretation.

²¹ For no nevu’ah was at any time brought by the ratzon HaBnei Adam (will of Man), but men being carried along by the Ruach Hakodesh spoke from Hashem.

2 But there were also nevi’ei sheker (false prophets) among Am Yisroel just as also there will be morei sheker among you. These false teachers will secretly bring in heretical doctrines of koferim baikkarim (deniers of fundamentals), producing machshelah (ruin), as these heretics even become meshummad, denying the Ribbono Shel Olam who redeemed them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

² And many will follow them in walking in darchei zimah (the ways of licentiousness), and because of them the Derech HaEmes will be libeled with lashon hora.

³ And in their chomed (covetous) greed, they will exploit you with deceptive words. For them the Mishpat (Judgment) of old is not drei (idle) and their churban (ruin) does not slumber.

⁴ For if Hashem did not spare malachim that sinned, but cast them into Gehinnom, consigning them to the sharsherot (chains) of choshech to be kept for Mishpat;

⁵ And if Hashem, when he brought a mabbul (flood) upon the world of resha’im (evildoers), did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noach, the eighth of the nefashot [in the Teva (Ark)] and a maggid of Tzidkanut (Righteousness);

⁶ And if Hashem judged the cities of S’dom and Amora, reducing them to ashes by a churban catastrophe, making them a mofet (an example) for the ones intending to be resha’im;

⁷ And if Hashem delivered Lot, a tzaddik distressed by the hitnahagut (conduct) of the mufkarim (lawless 2:8,10; 3:17) walking in darchei zimah (the ways of licentiousness)

⁸ —For that tzaddik, living among them day after day, was tortured in his nefesh hayesharah (honest soul) by the darchei mufkarim (the ways of lawless ones) that he saw and heard

⁹ —Then Hashem knows how to rescue the chasidim from trial and how to preserve the anshei resha (men of wickedness) for punishment for the Yom HaDin,

¹⁰ Especially the ones going after the basar (flesh) in ta’avah (lust) producing tum’a (defilement) and the ones despising kol samchut (Mt 28:18). Bold and selfwilled, these have no yirat Shomayim and therefore commit Chillul Hashem as they slander the glorious ones,

¹¹ Whereas malachim, being greater b’oz and koach (in strength and power), al kol panim (nevertheless) do not bring against them a slanderous judgment before Hashem.

¹² But these men, like irrational beasts born b’derech hatevah (naturally) to be caught and killed, commit Chillul Hashem in matters where they lack da’as. In the destruction of [the beasts], they also will be destroyed,

¹³ Suffering harm as onesh (penalty) for harm done. They actually think there is ta’anug (pleasure) in reveling in broad daylight. They are mumim (defects) and spots reveling in their ta’nugot (evil pleasures) even while they sit at seudot (banquet dinners) with you.

¹⁴ Having eyes full of ni’uf (adultery), ceaselessly committing averos (sins), enticing unstable nefashot (souls), having levavot trained in chomed (covetous) greed—banim mekulalim (accursed children)!

¹⁵ Forsaking the Derech HaYashar (Straight Way), they went astray, having followed the Derech HaBil’am Ben B’or, who loved the sachar haresha (reward of unrighteousness).

¹⁶ But he had tochachah (reproof) for his own peysha (transgression): a dumb chamor (donkey), having spoken in a man’s voice, hindered the madness of the meshuga navi.

¹⁷ These men are mikva’ot without mayim and mists being driven by storms, for whom has been reserved the gloom of choshech (darkness).

¹⁸ Using high sounding words of hevel, they entice, with licentious ta’avot of the basar, the ones barely escaped from those living in toyus (error) and delusion.

¹⁹ They offer them the havtachah (promise) of cherut (freedom), but they themselves are avadim (slaves) of shachat (corruption), for whatever defeats a man also enslaves him.

²⁰ For if, having escaped the tumot (defilements) of Olam Hazeh by da’as of Adoneinu and Moshieinu Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua, they are again entangled in these, then their last state is worse for them than their first.

²¹ For better it was for them not to have da’as of the Derech HaTzidkanut (the Way of Righteousness) than, having known it, to turn away from the mitzvah hakedosha handed down to them.

²² The word of the true mashal (proverb) has overtaken them: KECHELEV SHAV AL KE’O ("As a dog having returned to its own vomit"), and a "chazir (swine) is washed only to wallow in the mud" (MISHLE 26:11).

3 Chaverim, this now is the second iggeret I am writing to you; in these iggrot my tachlis is to arouse your sincere levavot by way of tizkoret (reminder):

² Remember the divrei torah having been previously spoken by the Nevi’im HaKedoshim and the mitzvot of [Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach] Adoneinu and Moshieinu spoken by your Shluchim.

³ Knowing this first, that during the acharit hayamim there will come letzim (mockers, scorners) mocking, going after their own ta’avot (lusts),

⁴ And saying, "Where is the havtachah (promise) of the Bias HaMoshiach? From the time Avoteinu fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of HaBri’ah (Creation)."

⁵ For this is hidden from them (but they want it that way): that the Shomayim existed from long ago and ha’Aretz out of mayim and through mayim BIDVAR Hashem NA’ASU ("By the word of the L-rd were made" TEHILLIM 33:6).

⁶ Through this very mayim, the tevel (world) of that time perished in the mabbul (flood).

⁷ But the present Shomayim v’ha’Aretz are being reserved by the same Dvar Hashem, being kept for Eish (Fire) for Yom HaDin and for the destruction of anshei resha (men of wickedness).

⁸ Chaverim, let not this one thing escape your notice, that "A thousand years in the eyes of Hashem is like one day" TEHILLIM 90:4) and one day like a thousand years.

⁹ But Hashem is not slow concerning his havtachah (promise), as some consider slowness, but is demonstrating zitzfleisch (patience 3:15) toward you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to teshuva (repentance).

¹⁰ But the Yom Hashem will come as a ganav (thief), in which the Shomayim with great suddenness will pass away and the elements, burning up, will be destroyed, and the Olam Hazeh and its ma’asim will be found out [BAMIDBAR 32:23].

¹¹ Als (Since) all these things will thus be destroyed, what kinds of persons ought you to be in hitnahagut (conduct) that is characterized by kedushah and chasidus,

¹² Awaiting and hastening the Bias HaMoshiach of the Yom Hashem, because of which the Shomayim will be turned into Eish (Fire) and destroyed, and the elements set ablaze and melted.

¹³ But SHOMAYIM CHADASHIM VA’ARETZ CHADASHA [YESHAYAH 65:17 cf. 66:22] according to the havtachah (promise) of Hashem we await, in which Tzidkanut (Righteousness) dwells.

¹⁴ Chaverim, als you await these things, be eager to be found in shalom by him TAMIM U’MUM ("unblemished and unspotted" SHEMOT 12:5; VAYIKRA 22:20; YESHAYAH 53:7,9).

¹⁵ And regard the zitzfleisch (patience) of Adoneinu as Yeshu’at Eloheynu. So also our Chaver and Ach b’Moshiach Sha’ul, according to the chochmah (wisdom) having been given to him, wrote to you.

¹⁶ As also in all his iggrot speaking in them concerning these things, in which are some things lomdish (intricate and complicated to understand), which those unstable and without da’as, twist, as also the other Kitvei Hakodesh, to their own churban (destuction).

¹⁷ Chaverim, you therefore, knowing beforehand, be shomer over yourselves lest with the toyus (error) of the mufkarim (lawless ones) having been led away, you fall from your own stability.

¹⁸ But grow in the Chen v’Chesed and Da’as of Adoneinu and Moshieinu, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua. Lo HaKavod Gam HaYom V’Gam L’Yom HaOlam. Omein. (To him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Omein.)