For if God did not spare (A)angels when they sinned, but (B)cast them into hell[a] and committed them to chains[b] of gloomy darkness (C)to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but (D)preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought (E)a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by (F)turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, (G)making them an example of (H)what is going to happen to the ungodly;[c] and (I)if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, (J)he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then (K)the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,[d] and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially (L)those who indulge[e] in the lust of defiling passion and (M)despise authority.

Bold and willful, they do not tremble (N)as they blaspheme the glorious ones,

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:4 Greek Tartarus
  2. 2 Peter 2:4 Some manuscripts pits
  3. 2 Peter 2:6 Some manuscripts an example to those who were to be ungodly
  4. 2 Peter 2:9 Or temptations
  5. 2 Peter 2:10 Greek who go after the flesh

Active judgment of God

God didn’t spare the angels when they sinned but cast them into the lowest level of the underworld and committed them to chains of darkness, keeping them there until the judgment. And he didn’t spare the ancient world when he brought a flood on the world of ungodly people, even though he protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, along with seven others. God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to total destruction, reducing them to ashes as a warning to ungodly people. And he rescued righteous Lot, who was made miserable by the unrestrained immorality of unruly people. (While that righteous man lived among them he felt deep distress every day on account of the immoral actions he saw and heard.) These things show that the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and how to keep the unrighteous for punishment on the Judgment Day. 10 This is especially true for those who follow after the corrupt cravings of the sinful nature and defy the Lord’s authority.

Evil character of the false teachers

These reckless, brash people aren’t afraid to insult the glorious ones,

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