10 especially those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority.(A)

Bold, arrogant people! They are not afraid to slander the glorious ones; 11 however, angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring a slanderous charge against them before the Lord.[a] 12 But these people, like irrational animals—creatures of instinct born to be caught and destroyed—slander what they do not understand, and in their destruction they too will be destroyed. 13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are spots and blemishes, delighting in their deceptions[b] while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery(B) that never stop looking for sin. They seduce unstable people and have hearts trained in greed. Children under a curse!(C) 15 They have gone astray by abandoning the straight path(D) and have followed the path of Balaam,(E) the son of Bosor,[c] who loved the wages of wickedness(F) 16 but received a rebuke for his lawlessness: A speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:11 Other mss read them from the Lord
  2. 2:13 Other mss read delighting in the love feasts
  3. 2:15 Other mss read Beor

10 and especially those who go after the flesh in defiling lust[a] and who despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they do not tremble in awe as they[b] blaspheme majestic beings, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, do not bring against them a demeaning judgment.[c] 12 But these persons, like irrational animals born only with natural instincts for capture and killing, blaspheming about things[d] 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[e] feast together with you, 14 having eyes full of desire for an adulteress and unceasing from sin, enticing unstable persons, and[f] having hearts trained for greediness. Accursed children! 15 By[g] leaving the straight path, they have gone astray, because they[h] followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,[i] 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[j].

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:10 Literally “in lust of defilement,” translated here as an attributive genitive
  2. 2 Peter 2:10 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“blaspheme”) which is understood as temporal
  3. 2 Peter 2:11 Some manuscripts have “a demeaning judgment from the Lord”
  4. 2 Peter 2:12 Literally “with reference to which”
  5. 2 Peter 2:13 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“feast together”) which is understood as temporal
  6. 2 Peter 2:14 Here “and” is supplied in keeping with English style
  7. 2 Peter 2:15 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“leaving”) which is understood as means
  8. 2 Peter 2:15 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“followed”) which is understood as causal
  9. 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
  10. 2 Peter 2:16 Literally “the of the prophet madness”

10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire(A) of the flesh[a] and despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;(B) 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from[b] the Lord.(C) 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.(D)

13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.(E) They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.[c](F) 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce(G) the unstable;(H) they are experts in greed(I)—an accursed brood!(J) 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam(K) son of Bezer,[d] who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:10 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 18.
  2. 2 Peter 2:11 Many manuscripts beings in the presence of
  3. 2 Peter 2:13 Some manuscripts in their love feasts
  4. 2 Peter 2:15 Greek Bosor