2 Peter 2
Legacy Standard Bible
The Rise of False Prophets
2 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. 2 And many will follow their (I)sensuality, and because of them (J)the way of the truth will be (K)maligned. 3 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.
4 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; 5 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; 6 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; 7 and if He (X)rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the (Y)sensual conduct of (Z)unprincipled men 8 (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), 9 (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
- 2 Peter 2:4 Gr tartarus
- 2 Peter 2:5 Or herald
- 2 Peter 2:9 Or temptation
- 2 Peter 2:10 Angels
- 2 Peter 2:12 Lit their destruction also
- 2 Peter 2:13 One early ms love feasts
- 2 Peter 2:17 Lit blackness of darkness
- 2 Peter 2:22 Lit thing
2 Peter 2
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.
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