2 Peter 2:17-22
Wycliffe Bible
17 These be wells without water, and mists driven with whirlwinds [and clouds driven with whirling winds], to whom the thick mist of darknesses is reserved.
18 And they speak in pride of vanity, and deceive in desires of flesh of lechery them, that escape a little. Which live in error,
19 and promise freedom to them [promising liberty, or freedom, to them], when they be servants of corruption. For of whom any man is overcome, of him also he is servant.
20 For if men forsake the uncleannesses of the world, by the knowing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and again be wrapped in these [again enwrapped in these], and be overcome, the latter things be made to them worse than the former.
21 For it was better to them to not know the way of rightwiseness, than to turn again after the knowing, from that holy commandment that was betaken to them.
22 For that very proverb befelled to them, The hound turned again to his vomit, or casting, and a sow is washed in wallowing in fen. [Soothly that thing of very proverb befell to them, An hound turned again to his vomit, or casting up, and a sow washed in the wallowing, or slough, of clay, or fen.]
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2 Peter 2:17-22
New Matthew Bible
17 These are wells without water, and clouds carried about by a tempest, for whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. 18 For when they have spoken the swelling words of vanity, they beguile with wantonness through the lusts of the flesh those who were clean escaped, but now are wrapped in errors. 19 They promise them liberty, and are themselves the bond-servants of corruption. For by whomever a person is overcome, to him he is in bondage.
20 For if, after they have escaped from the corruption of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the Saviour Jesus Christ, they are yet tangled again in it and overcome, then is the latter end worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment given to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb: The dog is turned to his vomit again, and the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.
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2 Peter 2:17-22
1599 Geneva Bible
17 (A)[a]These are [b]wells without water, and clouds carried about with a tempest, to whom the [c]black darkness is reserved forever.
18 For in speaking [d]swelling words of vanity, they [e]beguile with wantonness through the lusts of the flesh them that were [f]clean escaped from them which are wrapped in error,
19 Promising unto them liberty, and are themselves the (B)servants of corruption: for of whomsoever a man is overcome, even unto the same is he in bondage.
20 (C)[g] For if they, after they have escaped from the filthiness of the world, through the acknowledging of the Lord, and of the Savior Jesus Christ, are yet tangled again therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have acknowledged the way of righteousness, than after they have acknowledged it, to turn from the holy commandment given unto them.
22 But it is come unto them according to the true proverb, (D)The dog is returned to his own vomit: and the sow that was washed, to the wallowing in the mire.
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- 2 Peter 2:17 Another note whereby they may be well known what manner of men they are, because they have inwardly nothing but either utterly vain or very hurtful, although they make a show of some great goodness: but they shall not escape unpunished for it, because under pretence of false liberty, they draw men into most miserable slavery of sin.
- 2 Peter 2:17 Which boast of knowledge, and have nothing in them.
- 2 Peter 2:17 Most gross darkness.
- 2 Peter 2:18 They deceive men with vain and swelling words.
- 2 Peter 2:18 They take them as fishes are taken with the hook.
- 2 Peter 2:18 Unfeignedly and indeed clean departed from Idolatry.
- 2 Peter 2:20 It were better never to have known the way of righteousness, than to turn back from it to the old filthiness: and men that do so are compared to dogs and swine.
2 Peter 2:17-22
Authorized (King James) Version
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 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.
Read full chapter2001 by Terence P. Noble
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.