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2 Peter 2-3
English Standard Version

False Prophets and Teachers

2 But (A)false prophets also arose among the people, (B)just as there will be false teachers among you, who will (C)secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master (D)who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth (E)will be blasphemed. 3 And (F)in their greed they will exploit you (G)with false words. (H)Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

4 For if God did not spare (I)angels when they sinned, but (J)cast them into hell[a] and committed them to chains[b] of gloomy darkness (K)to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but (L)preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought (M)a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by (N)turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, (O)making them an example of (P)what is going to happen to the ungodly;[c] 7 and (Q)if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, (R)he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then (S)the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,[d] and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially (T)those who indulge[e] in the lust of defiling passion and (U)despise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble (V)as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 (W)whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 (X)But these, like irrational animals, (Y)creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as (Z)the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure (AA)to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions,[f] while (AB)they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery,[g] (AC)insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts (AD)trained in greed. (AE)Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, (AF)they have gone astray. They have followed (AG)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved (AH)gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; (AI)a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

17 (AJ)These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. (AK)For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, (AL)speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely (AM)escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them (AN)freedom, (AO)but they themselves are slaves[h] of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, (AP)after they have escaped the defilements of the world (AQ)through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, (AR)the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For (AS)it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from (AT)the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The (AU)dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

The Day of the Lord Will Come

3 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them (AV)I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 (AW)that you should remember the predictions of (AX)the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come (AY)in the last days with scoffing, (AZ)following their own sinful desires. 4 (BA)They will say, “Where is the promise of (BB)his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth (BC)was formed out of water and through water (BD)by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed (BE)was deluged with water and (BF)perished. 7 But by the same word (BG)the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and (BH)destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and (BI)a thousand years as one day. 9 (BJ)The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise (BK)as some count slowness, but (BL)is patient toward you,[i] (BM)not wishing that any should perish, but (BN)that all should reach repentance. 10 But (BO)the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then (BP)the heavens will pass away with a roar, and (BQ)the heavenly bodies[j] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.[k]

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, (BR)what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 (BS)waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and (BT)the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for (BU)new heavens and a new earth (BV)in which righteousness dwells.

Final Words

14 (BW)Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him (BX)without spot or (BY)blemish, and (BZ)at peace. 15 And count (CA)the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as (CB)our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you (CC)according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. (CD)There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, (CE)as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, (CF)knowing this beforehand, (CG)take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But (CH)grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (CI)To him be the glory both now and to the day of (CJ)eternity. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:4 Greek Tartarus
  2. 2 Peter 2:4 Some manuscripts pits
  3. 2 Peter 2:6 Some manuscripts an example to those who were to be ungodly
  4. 2 Peter 2:9 Or temptations
  5. 2 Peter 2:10 Greek who go after the flesh
  6. 2 Peter 2:13 Some manuscripts love feasts
  7. 2 Peter 2:14 Or eyes full of an adulteress
  8. 2 Peter 2:19 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface
  9. 2 Peter 3:9 Some manuscripts on your account
  10. 2 Peter 3:10 Or elements; also verse 12
  11. 2 Peter 3:10 Greek found; some manuscripts will be burned up
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2 Peter 2-3
New International Version

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets(A) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.(B) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord(C) who bought them(D)—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct(E) and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed(F) these teachers will exploit you(G) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned,(H) but sent them to hell,[a] putting them in chains of darkness[b] to be held for judgment;(I) 5 if he did not spare the ancient world(J) when he brought the flood on its ungodly people,(K) but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;(L) 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,(M) and made them an example(N) of what is going to happen to the ungodly;(O) 7 and if he rescued Lot,(P) a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless(Q) 8 (for that righteous man,(R) living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials(S) and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.(T) 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire(U) of the flesh[c] and despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;(V) 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from[d] the Lord.(W) 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.(X)

13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.(Y) They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.[e](Z) 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce(AA) the unstable;(AB) they are experts in greed(AC)—an accursed brood!(AD) 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam(AE) son of Bezer,[f] who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.(AF)

17 These people are springs without water(AG) and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.(AH) 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words(AI) and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping(AJ) from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”(AK) 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing(AL) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ(AM) and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.(AN) 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.(AO) 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”[g](AP) and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

The Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends,(AQ) this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders(AR) to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets(AS) and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.(AT)

3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days(AU) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.(AV) 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?(AW) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”(AX) 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word(AY) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.(AZ) 6 By these waters also the world of that time(BA) was deluged and destroyed.(BB) 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,(BC) being kept for the day of judgment(BD) and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.(BE) 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,(BF) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient(BG) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.(BH)

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.(BI) The heavens will disappear with a roar;(BJ) the elements will be destroyed by fire,(BK) and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[h](BL)

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward(BM) to the day of God and speed its coming.[i](BN) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.(BO) 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,(BP) where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless(BQ) and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience(BR) means salvation,(BS) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.(BT) 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable(BU) people distort,(BV) as they do the other Scriptures,(BW) to their own destruction.

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard(BX) so that you may not be carried away by the error(BY) of the lawless(BZ) and fall from your secure position.(CA) 18 But grow in the grace(CB) and knowledge(CC) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.(CD) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.(CE)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:4 Greek Tartarus
  2. 2 Peter 2:4 Some manuscripts in gloomy dungeons
  3. 2 Peter 2:10 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 18.
  4. 2 Peter 2:11 Many manuscripts beings in the presence of
  5. 2 Peter 2:13 Some manuscripts in their love feasts
  6. 2 Peter 2:15 Greek Bosor
  7. 2 Peter 2:22 Prov. 26:11
  8. 2 Peter 3:10 Some manuscripts be burned up
  9. 2 Peter 3:12 Or as you wait eagerly for the day of God to come
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