²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God^(A) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.^(B)

⁵ if he did not spare the ancient world^(A) when he brought the flood on its ungodly people,^(B) but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;^{(C) 6} if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,^(D) and made them an example^(E) of what is going to happen to the ungodly;^{(F) 7} and if he rescued Lot,^(G) a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless^{(H) 8} (for that righteous man,^(I) living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—

¹⁵ They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam^(A) son of Bezer,^[a] who loved the wages of wickedness.

⁵ But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word^(A) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.^(B)

⁶ By these waters also the world of that time^(A) was deluged and destroyed.^(B)