2 Peter 2
Wycliffe Bible
2 But also false prophets were in the people, as in you shall be masters liars, that shall bring in sects of perdition; and they deny that Lord that bought them, and bring on themselves hasty perdition.[a]
2 And many shall follow their lecheries, by whom the way of truth shall be blasphemed;
3 and they shall make merchandise of you in covetousness by feigned words. To whom doom now a while ago ceaseth not [To whom doom now sometime ceaseth not], and the perdition of them nappeth not.
4 For if God spared not angels sinning, but betook them to be tormented, and to be drawn down with bonds of hell into hell [but betook them to be tormented, drawn down with bonds of hell into hell], to be kept into doom;
5 and spared not the first world, but kept Noah, the eighth man, the before-goer of rightwiseness, and brought in the great flood to the world of unfaithful men [bringing in the deluge, or great flood, to the world of unpious men];
6 and he drove into powder [and driving into powder] the cities of men of Sodom and of men of Gomorrha, and condemned by turning upside-down, and put them the ensample of them that were to doing evil [putting example of them that were to doing evil, or unpiously];
7 and delivered the just Lot, oppressed of the wrong, and of the lecherous conversation of cursed men;
8 for in sight and hearing he was just, and dwelled amongst them [dwelling with them] that from day into day tormented with wicked works a just soul.
9 For the Lord knoweth how to deliver pious men from temptation, and keep wicked men into the day of doom to be tormented; [The Lord knew to deliver pious men of temptation, soothly to keep wicked men into the day of doom to be tormented;]
10 but more them that walk after the flesh, in coveting of uncleanness, and despise lordshipping, and be bold, pleasing themselves, and dread not to bring in sects, blaspheming;
11 where angels, when they be more in strength and virtue, bear not the execrable doom against them [bear not against them the execrable, or cursed, doom].
12 But these be as unreasonable beasts, naturally into taking [by kind into taking], and into death, blaspheming in these things that they know not, and shall perish in their corruption,
13 and receive the hire of unrightwiseness. And they guess delights of defouling and of wem, to be likings of the day, flowing in their feasts with delights, doing lechery with you, [receiving the hire of unrightwiseness, guessing the volupties of the day delights of defouling and of wem, with delights flowing, in their feasts doing lechery with you,]
14 and have eyes full of adultery, and unceasing trespass, deceiving unsteadfast souls, and have the heart exercised to covetousness; the sons of cursing, [having eyes full of adultery, and unceasing trespass, deceiving unsteadfast souls, having the heart exercised in covetousness, the sons of cursing,]
15 that forsake the right way, and erred, following the way of Balaam of Bosor, which loved the hire of wickedness.
16 But he had reproving of his madness; a dumb beast under yoke, that spake with voice of man, that forbade the unwisdom of the prophet. [Soothly he had correction, or reproving, of his madness; a dumb beast under yoke, speaking with voice of a man, forbade the unwisdom of the prophet.]
17 These be wells without water, and mists driven with whirlwinds [and clouds driven with whirling winds], to whom the thick mist of darknesses is reserved.
18 And they speak in pride of vanity, and deceive in desires of flesh of lechery them, that escape a little. Which live in error,
19 and promise freedom to them [promising liberty, or freedom, to them], when they be servants of corruption. For of whom any man is overcome, of him also he is servant.
20 For if men forsake the uncleannesses of the world, by the knowing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and again be wrapped in these [again enwrapped in these], and be overcome, the latter things be made to them worse than the former.
21 For it was better to them to not know the way of rightwiseness, than to turn again after the knowing, from that holy commandment that was betaken to them.
22 For that very proverb befelled to them, The hound turned again to his vomit, or casting, and a sow is washed in wallowing in fen. [Soothly that thing of very proverb befell to them, An hound turned again to his vomit, or casting up, and a sow washed in the wallowing, or slough, of clay, or fen.]
Footnotes
- 2 Peter 2:1 Forsooth there were and false prophets of the people, as and in you shall be master liars, which shall bring in sects of perdition; and they denying that Lord that bought them, and bring on themselves hasty perdition, or damnation.
2 Peter 2
New Matthew Bible
He prophesies of false teachers, and shows their punishment.
2 There were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will slyly bring in damnable sects, even denying the Lord who has bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation. 2 And many will follow their damnable ways, by which the way of truth will be ill spoken of. 3 And through covetousness they will with feigned words make merchandise of you. Their judgment is not far off, and their damnation sleeps not.
4 For God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be kept until the judgment. 5 And he did not spare the old world, but saved Noah, the preacher of righteousness, with seven others, and brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. 6 And he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, overthrew them, damned them, and made them an example to all who afterwards would live ungodly. 7 But just Lot, vexed with the unclean ways of the wicked, he delivered. 8 For he, being righteous, and dwelling among them, was vexed in his righteous soul from day to day, with seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds.
9 So then, the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of affliction, and how to reserve the unjust for the day of judgment, to be punished; 10 namely those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise authority. Presumptuous they are, and stubborn, and fear not to speak evil of those who are in authority, 11 whereas the angels, who are greater both in power and might, do not bring railing judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like brute beasts by nature born to be captured and destroyed, speak evil of that which they do not understand, and shall perish through their own destruction, 13 and receive the reward of unrighteousness.
They count it pleasure to live deliciously for a season. Spots they are, and vileness, living at pleasure, and in deceptive ways feasting with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease to sin, beguiling unstable souls. Hearts they have exercised with covetousness. They are cursed children, 15 and have forsaken the right way, and have gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness – 16 but was rebuked for his iniquity: the tame and dumb beast, speaking with man’s voice, opposed the foolishness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, and clouds carried about by a tempest, for whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. 18 For when they have spoken the swelling words of vanity, they beguile with wantonness through the lusts of the flesh those who were clean escaped, but now are wrapped in errors. 19 They promise them liberty, and are themselves the bond-servants of corruption. For by whomever a person is overcome, to him he is in bondage.
20 For if, after they have escaped from the corruption of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the Saviour Jesus Christ, they are yet tangled again in it and overcome, then is the latter end worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment given to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb: The dog is turned to his vomit again, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.
2 Peter 2
1599 Geneva Bible
2 1 He foretelleth them of false teachers, 13 whose wicked sleights and destruction he declareth. 12 He compareth them to bruit beasts, 17 and to wells without water, 20 because they seek to withdraw men from God to their old filthiness.
1 But [a]there were false prophets also among the [b]people, even as there shall be false teachers among you: which privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that hath bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation.
2 [c]And many shall follow their destructions, by whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 [d]And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make [e]merchandise of you, [f]whose condemnation long since resteth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the (A)Angels that had sinned, but cast them down into [g]hell, and delivered them into [h]chains of darkness, to be kept unto damnation:
5 Neither hath spared the [i]old world, but saved (B)Noah the eighth person a [j]preacher of righteousness, and brought in the Flood upon the world of the ungodly,
6 And (C)turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them and overthrew them, and made them an ensample unto them that after should live ungodly,
7 And delivered just Lot vexed with the uncleanly conversation of the wicked:
8 (For he being righteous, and dwelling among them, in [k]seeing and hearing, [l]vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.)
9 The Lord [m]knoweth to deliver the godly out of tentation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment under punishment:
10 [n]And chiefly them that walk after the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government, which are bold, and stand in their own conceit, and fear not to speak evil of them that are in [o]dignity.
11 Whereas the Angels which are greater both in power and might, give not railing judgment against them before the Lord.
12 [p]But these as natural brute beasts, led with sensuality and [q]made to be taken, and destroyed, speak evil of those things which they know not, and shall perish through their own [r]corruption.
13 And shall receive the wages of unrighteousness, as they which count it pleasure daily to live deliciously. [s]Spots they are and blots, delighting themselves in their deceivings, [t]in feasting with you.
14 [u]Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease to sin, beguiling unstable souls, they have hearts exercised with covetousness, they are the children of curse:
15 Which forsaking the right way, have gone astray following the way of (D)Balaam, the son of Beor, which loved the wages of unrighteousness.
16 But he was rebuked for his iniquity: for the dumb beast speaking with man’s voice forbade the foolishness of the Prophet.
17 (E)[v]These are [w]wells without water, and clouds carried about with a tempest, to whom the [x]black darkness is reserved forever.
18 For in speaking [y]swelling words of vanity, they [z]beguile with wantonness through the lusts of the flesh them that were [aa]clean escaped from them which are wrapped in error,
19 Promising unto them liberty, and are themselves the (F)servants of corruption: for of whomsoever a man is overcome, even unto the same is he in bondage.
20 (G)[ab] For if they, after they have escaped from the filthiness of the world, through the acknowledging of the Lord, and of the Savior Jesus Christ, are yet tangled again therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have acknowledged the way of righteousness, than after they have acknowledged it, to turn from the holy commandment given unto them.
22 But it is come unto them according to the true proverb, (H)The dog is returned to his own vomit: and the sow that was washed, to the wallowing in the mire.
Footnotes
- 2 Peter 2:1 As in times past there were two kinds of Prophets, the one true, the other false, so Peter fortelleth them that there shall be some true and some false teachers in the Church, insomuch that Christ himself shall be denied by some, who notwithstanding shall call him redeemer.
- 2 Peter 2:1 Under the Law, while the state and policy of the Jews was yet standing.
- 2 Peter 2:2 There shall not only be heresies, but also many followers of them.
- 2 Peter 2:3 Covetousness for the most part is a companion of heresy, and maketh merchandise even of souls.
- 2 Peter 2:3 They will abuse you, and sell you as they sell cattle in a Fair.
- 2 Peter 2:3 A comfort for the godly: God who cast the Angels that fell away from him headlong into the darkness of hell, at length to be judged, and who destroyed the old world with the flood, and preserved Noah the eight person, and who burned Sodom, and saved Lot, will deliver his elect from these errors, and will utterly destroy those unrighteous.
- 2 Peter 2:4 So the Greeks called the deep dungeon under the earth, which should be appointed to torment the souls of the wicked in.
- 2 Peter 2:4 Bound them with darkness as it were with chains: and by darkness, he meaneth that most miserable state of life, that is full of horror.
- 2 Peter 2:5 Which was before the Flood: not that God made a new world, but because the world seemed new.
- 2 Peter 2:5 For he ceased not for the space of an hundred and twenty years to warn the wicked both by word and deed, what wrath of God hanged over their heads.
- 2 Peter 2:8 Which way soever he looked and turned his ears.
- 2 Peter 2:8 He had a troubled soul, and being vehemently grieved, lived a painful life.
- 2 Peter 2:9 Hath been long practiced in saving and delivering the righteous.
- 2 Peter 2:10 He goeth to another sort of corrupt men, which notwithstanding are within the bosom of the Church, which are wickedly given, and do seditiously speak evil of the authority of Magistrates, (which the Angels themselves that minister before God, do not dispraise) A true and lively description of the Romish Clergy (as they call it.)
- 2 Peter 2:10 Princes and great men, be they never so high in authority.
- 2 Peter 2:12 A lively painting out of the same persons, wherein they are compared to beasts, which are made to snare themselves to destruction, while they give themselves to fill their bellies: For there is no greater ignorance than is in these men, although they most impudently find fault with those things which they know not: and it shall come to pass that they shall destroy themselves as beasts, with those pleasures wherewith they are delighted, and dishonor and defile the company of the godly.
- 2 Peter 2:12 Made to this end, to be a prey to others: so do these men willingly cast themselves into Satan’s snares.
- 2 Peter 2:12 Their own wicked manners shall bring them to destruction.
- 2 Peter 2:13 Or, little rocks.
- 2 Peter 2:13 When as by being amongst the Christians in the holy banquets which the Church keepeth, they would seem by that means to be true members of the Church, yet they are indeed but blots on the Church.
- 2 Peter 2:14 He condemneth those men, as showing even in their behavior and countenance an inmeasurable lust, as making merchandise of the souls of light persons, as men exercised in all the crafts of covetousness, to be short, as men that sell themselves for money to curse the Sons of God after Balaam’s example, whom the dumb beast reproved.
- 2 Peter 2:17 Another note whereby they may be well known what manner of men they are, because they have inwardly nothing but either utterly vain or very hurtful, although they make a show of some great goodness: but they shall not escape unpunished for it, because under pretence of false liberty, they draw men into most miserable slavery of sin.
- 2 Peter 2:17 Which boast of knowledge, and have nothing in them.
- 2 Peter 2:17 Most gross darkness.
- 2 Peter 2:18 They deceive men with vain and swelling words.
- 2 Peter 2:18 They take them as fishes are taken with the hook.
- 2 Peter 2:18 Unfeignedly and indeed clean departed from Idolatry.
- 2 Peter 2:20 It were better never to have known the way of righteousness, than to turn back from it to the old filthiness: and men that do so are compared to dogs and swine.
2 Peter 2
Authorized (King James) Version
2 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.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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