The Rise and Fall of the False Teachers

But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you also, who will bring in destructive heresies[a], even denying the Master who bought them, thus[b] bringing on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their licentious ways, because of whom the way of truth will be reviled. And in greediness they will exploit you with false words, whose condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but held them captive in Tartarus with chains of darkness and handed them over to be kept for judgment, and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a proclaimer of righteousness, and seven others[c] when he[d] brought a flood on the world of the ungodly, and condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes, having appointed them as an example for those who are going to be ungodly, and rescued righteous Lot, worn down by the way of life of lawless persons in licentiousness (for that righteous man, as he[e] lived among them day after day, was tormenting his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he was seeing and hearing), then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to reserve the unrighteous to be punished at[f] the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who go after the flesh in defiling lust[g] and who despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they do not tremble in awe as they[h] blaspheme majestic beings, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not bring against them a demeaning judgment.[i] 12 But these persons, like irrational animals born only with natural instincts for capture and killing, blaspheming about things[j] they do not understand, in their destruction will also be destroyed, 13 being harmed as the wages of unrighteousness. Considering reveling in the daytime a pleasure, they are stains and blemishes, carousing in their deceitful pleasures when they[k] feast together with you, 14 having eyes full of desire for an adulteress and unceasing from sin, enticing unstable persons, and[l] having hearts trained for greediness. Accursed children! 15 By[m] leaving the straight path, they have gone astray, because they[n] followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,[o] who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 16 but received a rebuke for his own lawlessness: a speechless donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the prophet’s madness[p].

17 These people are waterless springs and mists driven by a hurricane, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved. 18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty words[q], they entice with desires of the flesh and with licentiousness those who are scarcely escaping from those who live in error, 19 promising them freedom although they[r] themselves are slaves of depravity. For to whatever someone succumbs, by this he is also[s] enslaved. 20 For if, after they[t] have escaped from the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord[u] and Savior Jesus Christ, and they are again entangled in these things and succumb to them, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them. 22 The statement of the true proverb has happened to them, “A dog returns to its own vomit,”[v] and “A sow, after[w] washing herself, returns[x] to wallowing in the mud.”[y]

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:1 Literally “heresies of destruction”
  2. 2 Peter 2:1 Here “thus” is supplied as a component of the participle (“bringing on”) which is understood as result
  3. 2 Peter 2:5 Literally “eighth”
  4. 2 Peter 2:5 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“brought”) which is understood as temporal
  5. 2 Peter 2:8 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“lived”) which is understood as temporal
  6. 2 Peter 2:9 Or “until”
  7. 2 Peter 2:10 Literally “in lust of defilement,” translated here as an attributive genitive
  8. 2 Peter 2:10 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“blaspheme”) which is understood as temporal
  9. 2 Peter 2:11 Some manuscripts have “a demeaning judgment from the Lord”
  10. 2 Peter 2:12 Literally “with reference to which”
  11. 2 Peter 2:13 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“feast together”) which is understood as temporal
  12. 2 Peter 2:14 Here “and” is supplied in keeping with English style
  13. 2 Peter 2:15 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“leaving”) which is understood as means
  14. 2 Peter 2:15 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“followed”) which is understood as causal
  15. 2 Peter 2:15 Although some English versions use “Beor” here, this is due to harmonization with the Old Testament; the vast majority of Greek manuscripts read “Bosor” here
  16. 2 Peter 2:16 Literally “the of the prophet madness”
  17. 2 Peter 2:18 Literally “for speaking pompous words of emptiness”
  18. 2 Peter 2:19 Here “although” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as concessive
  19. 2 Peter 2:19 Some manuscripts omit “also”
  20. 2 Peter 2:20 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have escaped from”) which is understood as temporal
  21. 2 Peter 2:20 Some manuscripts have “of our Lord”
  22. 2 Peter 2:22 A paraphrased quotation from Prov 26:11
  23. 2 Peter 2:22 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“washing herself”) which is understood as temporal
  24. 2 Peter 2:22 The verb “returns” is not in the Greek text, but is an understood repetition from the previous clause
  25. 2 Peter 2:22 The source of this quotation is uncertain

The Rise of False Prophets

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

For (P)if God did not spare angels who sinned, but cast them into the [a]pit and (Q)delivered them to chains of darkness, being kept for judgment; and did not spare (R)the ancient world, but preserved (S)Noah, a [b]preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a (T)flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He (U)condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an (V)example to those who would (W)live ungodly lives thereafter; and if He (X)rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the (Y)sensual conduct of (Z)unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that (AA)righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), (AB)then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from [c]trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the (AC)day of judgment, 10 and especially those who (AD)go after the flesh in its corrupt lust and (AE)despise authority.

Daring, (AF)self-willed, they do not tremble when they (AG)blaspheme [d]glorious ones, 11 (AH)whereas angels who are greater in strength and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But (AI)these, like unreasoning animals, (AJ)born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, blaspheming where they have no knowledge, will in [e]the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13 suffering unrighteousness as (AK)the wages of their unrighteousness, considering it a pleasure to (AL)revel in the (AM)daytime—they are stains and blemishes, (AN)reveling in their [f]deceptions, as they (AO)feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and unceasing sin, (AP)enticing (AQ)unstable souls, having a heart trained in (AR)greed—they are (AS)accursed children. 15 Forsaking (AT)the right way, they have gone astray, having followed (AU)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved (AV)the wages of unrighteousness, 16 but he received a rebuke for his own lawlessness, (AW)for a mute donkey, speaking out with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 These are (AX)springs without water and mists driven by a storm, (AY)for whom the [g]black darkness has been kept. 18 For speaking out (AZ)arrogant words of (BA)vanity, they (BB)entice by (BC)sensual lusts of the flesh, those who barely (BD)escape from the ones who conducted themselves in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for (BE)by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if they are overcome, having both (BF)escaped the defilements of the world by (BG)the knowledge of the (BH)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and having again been (BI)entangled in them, then (BJ)the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 (BK)For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from (BL)the holy commandment (BM)handed on to them. 22 The [h]message of the true proverb has happened to them, “(BN)A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:4 Gr tartarus
  2. 2 Peter 2:5 Or herald
  3. 2 Peter 2:9 Or temptation
  4. 2 Peter 2:10 Angels
  5. 2 Peter 2:12 Lit their destruction also
  6. 2 Peter 2:13 One early ms love feasts
  7. 2 Peter 2:17 Lit blackness of darkness
  8. 2 Peter 2:22 Lit thing

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there shall be among you lying teachers, who shall bring in sects of perdition, and deny the Lord who bought them: bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

And many shall follow their riotousnesses, through whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. Whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their perdition slumbereth not.

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment:

And spared not the original world, but preserved Noe, the eighth person, the preacher of justice, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

And reducing the cities of the Sodomites, and of the Gomorrhites, into ashes, condemned them to be overthrown, making them an example to those that should after act wickedly.

And delivered just Lot, oppressed by the injustice and lewd conversation of the wicked.

For in sight and hearing he was just: dwelling among them, who from day to day vexed the just soul with unjust works.

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly from temptation, but to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be tormented.

10 And especially them who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government, audacious, self willed, they fear not to bring in sects, blaspheming.

11 Whereas angels who are greater in strength and power, bring not against themselves a railing judgment.

12 But these men, as irrational beasts, naturally tending to the snare and to destruction, blaspheming those things which they know not, shall perish in their corruption,

13 Receiving the reward of their injustice, counting for a pleasure the delights of a day: stains and spots, sporting themselves to excess, rioting in their feasts with you:

14 Having eyes full of adultery and of sin that ceaseth not: alluring unstable souls, having their heart exercised with covetousness, children of malediction:

15 Leaving the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam of Bosor, who loved the wages of iniquity,

16 But had a check of his madness, the dumb beast used to the yoke, which speaking with man's voice, forbade the folly of the prophet.

17 These are fountains without water, and clouds tossed with whirlwinds, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved.

18 For, speaking proud words of vanity, they allure by the desires of fleshly riotousness, those who for a little while escape, such as converse in error:

19 Promising them liberty, whereas they themselves are the slaves of corruption. For by whom a man is overcome, of the same also he is the slave.

20 For if, flying from the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they be again entangled in them and overcome: their latter state is become unto them worse than the former.

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them.

22 For, that of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog is returned to his vomit: and, The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.