2 Peter 2:10-16

Expanded Bible

¹⁰ That punishment is especially for those who ·live by doing the evil things their sinful selves want [^Lgo after the flesh with defiling passion/lust] and who ·hate [despise] authority [Jude 8].

These false teachers are bold and ·do anything they want [arrogant; self-willed]. They ·are not afraid [^Ldo not tremble] to ·speak against [slander; blaspheme] ·the angels [^Lthe glorious ones; ^Cprobably angelic beings; unclear whether referring to good or evil angels; Jude 8]. ¹¹ But even the angels, who are much stronger and more powerful ·than false teachers [or than the evil angels; ^Cunclear whether referring to false teachers or to “the glorious ones” (seen as evil angels) of v. 10], do not ·accuse them with insults [^Lbring a slanderous charge against them] before^[a] the Lord [see Jude 9]. ¹² But these people ·speak against [slander; blaspheme] things they do not understand. They are like ·animals that act without thinking [irrational animals], animals [of simple instinct] born to be caught and killed. And, ·like animals, these false teachers will be destroyed [or like the evil angels, these false teachers will be destroyed; ^Lin their destruction they will be destroyed; Jude 10]. ¹³ ·They have caused many people to suffer, so they themselves will suffer. That is their pay for what they have done [^L…suffering harm as the wage of unrighteousness; ^Ca wordplay based on the similarity of the Greek words translated “suffering harm” and “unrighteousness”]. They take pleasure in ·openly doing evil [doing evil/carousing in the daylight], so they are like dirty spots and ·stains [blemishes] among you. They delight in deceiving you while ·eating meals [or feasting] with you [^Cperhaps an allusion to the fellowship meal, or “love feast,” celebrated with the Lord’s Supper; Jude 12]. ¹⁴ ·Every time they look at a woman they want her [^LThey have eyes full of adultery], and ·their desire for sin is never satisfied [or they never stop sinning]. They ·lead weak people into the trap of sin [ensnare/entice/lure unstable people/souls], and they have ·taught [exercised; trained] their hearts to be greedy. ·God will punish them [^LAccursed children; ^Cunder God’s curse]! ¹⁵ These false teachers ·left [abandoned] the ·right [or straight] road and ·lost their way [wandered away; went astray], following the way Balaam went. Balaam, the son of ·Beor [or Bosor], loved ·being paid for doing wrong [^Lthe wages of unrighteousness; Num. 25; 31:16; Rev. 2:14]. ¹⁶ But a donkey, which cannot talk, ·told Balaam he was sinning [^Lrebuked his wrongdoing]. It spoke with a ·man’s [human] voice and stopped the prophet’s ·crazy thinking [madness; Num. 22:21–35; Jude 11].