20 For if, (A)after they have escaped the defilements of the world (B)through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, (C)the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For (D)it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from (E)the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The (F)dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

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20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. 21 It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. 22 They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.”[a] And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

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Footnotes

  1. 2:22 Prov 26:11.

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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20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through [the full, personal] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become entangled in them and are overcome, their last condition is worse [for them] than the first.

21 For never to have obtained a [full, personal] knowledge of the way of righteousness would have been better for them than, having obtained [such knowledge], to turn back from the holy commandment which was [verbally] delivered to them.

22 There has befallen them the thing spoken of in the true proverb, The dog turns back to his own vomit, and, The sow is washed only to wallow again in the mire.(A)

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