For (A)if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into [a]hell and (B)committed them to [b]pits of darkness, held for judgment; and did not spare (C)the ancient world, but protected (D)Noah, a [c]preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a (E)flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He (F)condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an (G)example [d]of what is coming for the (H)ungodly; and if He (I)rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the (J)perverted conduct of [e](K)unscrupulous people (for by what he saw and heard that (L)righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), (M)then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from [f]a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the (N)day of judgment, 10 and especially those who [g](O)indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and (P)despise [h]authority.

[i]Reckless, (Q)self-centered, they (R)speak abusively of angelic [j]majesties without trembling,

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:4 Gr Tartarus, a name used as a reference to the netherworld (hell)
  2. 2 Peter 2:4 One early ms chains of darkness
  3. 2 Peter 2:5 Or herald
  4. 2 Peter 2:6 One early ms to those who were going to live ungodly lives
  5. 2 Peter 2:7 Or disgraceful
  6. 2 Peter 2:9 Or temptation; one early ms trials (temptations)
  7. 2 Peter 2:10 Lit go after
  8. 2 Peter 2:10 Lit lordship
  9. 2 Peter 2:10 Or Audacious
  10. 2 Peter 2:10 Lit glories

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but threw them into the lowest hell[a] and imprisoned them in chains[b] of deepest darkness, holding them for judgment; and if he did not spare the ancient world but protected Noah, a righteous preacher, along with seven others when he brought the flood on the world of ungodly people; and if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed them by burning them to ashes, making them an example to ungodly people of what is going to happen to them; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man who was greatly distressed by the immoral conduct of lawless people— for as long as that righteous man lived among them, day after day he was being tortured in his righteous soul by what he saw and heard in their lawless actions— then the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials and to hold unrighteous people for punishment on the day of judgment, 10 especially those who satisfy their flesh by indulging in its passions and who despise authority.

Being bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to slander glorious beings.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:4 Gk. Tartarus; a reference to the realm of the dead
  2. 2 Peter 2:4 Other mss. read pits