⁴ For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus,^[a] and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment; ⁵ and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly, ⁶ and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way, ⁷ and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked ⁸ (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds), ⁹ then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, ¹¹ whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord.

⁸ But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance. ¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.