2 Peter 2-3

New American Standard Bible

The Appearance of False Prophets

2 But ^(A)false prophets also appeared 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 Many will follow their ^(I)indecent behavior, 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 when they sinned, but cast them into ^[a]hell and ^(Q)committed them to ^[b]pits of darkness, held for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare ^(R)the ancient world, but protected ^(S)Noah, a ^[c]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 ^[d]of what is coming for the ^(W)ungodly; ⁷ and if He ^(X)rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the ^(Y)perverted conduct of ^[e](Z)unscrupulous people 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 ^[f]a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the ^(AC)day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who ^[g](AD)indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and ^(AE)despise ^[h]authority.

^[i]Reckless, ^(AF)self-centered, they ^(AG)speak abusively of angelic ^[j]majesties without trembling, ^11 (AH)whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. ¹² But ^(AI)these, like unreasoning animals, ^(AJ)born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in ^[k]the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, ¹³ suffering wrong as ^(AK)the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to ^(AL)revel in the ^(AM)daytime. They are stains and blemishes, ^(AN)reveling in their ^[l]deceptions as they ^(AO)feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery ^[m]that never cease from sin, ^(AP)enticing ^(AQ)unstable souls, having hearts trained in ^(AR)greed, ^(AS)accursed children; ¹⁵ abandoning ^(AT)the right way, they have gone astray, having followed ^(AU)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^(AV)the ^[n]reward of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he received a rebuke for his own offense, ^(AW)for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.

¹⁷ These are ^(AX)springs without water and mists driven by a storm, ^(AY)for whom the ^[o]black darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For, while speaking out ^(AZ)arrogant words of no ^(BA)value they ^(BB)entice by fleshly desires, by ^(BC)indecent behavior, those who barely ^(BD)escape from the ones who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^(BE)by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, after they have ^(BF)escaped the defilements of the world by ^(BG)the knowledge of the ^(BH)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again ^(BI)entangled in them and are overcome, ^(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 [p]It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “^(BN)A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

Purpose of This Letter

3 ^(BO)Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am ^(BP)stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, ² to ^(BQ)remember the words spoken beforehand by ^(BR)the holy prophets and ^(BS)the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

The Coming Day of the Lord

^3 (BT)Know this first of all, that ^(BU)in the last days ^(BV)mockers will come with their mocking, ^(BW)following after their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, “^(BX)Where is the promise of His ^(BY)coming? For ever since the fathers ^[q](BZ)fell asleep, all things continue just as they were ^(CA)from the beginning of creation.” ⁵ For ^[r]when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that ^(CB)by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was ^(CC)formed out of water and by water, ⁶ through which ^(CD)the world at that time was ^(CE)destroyed by being flooded with water. ⁷ But by His word ^(CF)the present heavens and earth are being reserved for ^(CG)fire, kept for ^(CH)the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

⁸ But do not let this one fact escape your notice, ^(CI)beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and ^(CJ)a thousand years like one day. ^9 (CK)The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but ^(CL)is patient toward you, ^(CM)not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

A New Heaven and Earth

¹⁰ But ^(CN)the day of the Lord ^(CO)will come like a thief, in which ^(CP)the heavens ^(CQ)will pass away with a roar and the ^(CR)elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and ^(CS)the earth and ^[s]its works will be ^[t]discovered.

¹¹ Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, ^12 (CT)looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which ^(CU)the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the ^(CV)elements will melt with intense heat! ¹³ But according to His ^(CW)promise we are looking for ^(CX)new heavens and a new earth, ^(CY)in which righteousness dwells.

^14 (CZ)Therefore, ^(DA)beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be ^(DB)found ^(DC)spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, ¹⁵ and regard the ^(DD)patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also ^(DE)our beloved brother Paul, ^(DF)according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his letters, speaking in them of ^(DG)these things, ^(DH)in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and ^(DI)unstable distort, as they do also ^(DJ)the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. ¹⁷ You therefore, ^(DK)beloved, knowing this beforehand, ^(DL)be on your guard so that you are not carried away by ^(DM)the error of ^[u](DN)unscrupulous people and ^(DO)lose your own ^[v]firm commitment, ¹⁸ but grow in the grace and ^(DP)knowledge of our ^(DQ)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ^(DR)To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.