14 I was on the verge of total ruin,
In the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

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14 And I was soon in serious trouble(A)
    in the assembly of God’s people.”(B)

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20 He who walks with wise men will be wise,
But the companion of fools will be destroyed.

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20 Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.(A)

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10 and especially (A)those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. (B)They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of [a]dignitaries, 11 whereas (C)angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

Depravity of False Teachers

12 But these, (D)like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 (E)and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure (F)to [b]carouse in the daytime. (G)They are spots and blemishes, [c]carousing in their own deceptions while (H)they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of [d]adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. (I)They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of (J)Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 (K)These are wells without water, [e]clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness [f]forever.

Deceptions of False Teachers

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who [g]have actually escaped from those who live in error.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 2:10 glorious ones, lit. glories
  2. 2 Peter 2:13 revel
  3. 2 Peter 2:13 reveling
  4. 2 Peter 2:14 Lit. an adulteress
  5. 2 Peter 2:17 NU and mists
  6. 2 Peter 2:17 NU omits forever
  7. 2 Peter 2:18 NU are barely escaping

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)

17 These people are springs without water(M) and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.(N) 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words(O) and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping(P) from those who live in error.

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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

Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as (A)they also lusted. (B)And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, (C)“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” (D)Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as (E)some of them did, and (F)in one day twenty-three thousand fell;

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Now these things occurred as examples(A) to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters,(B) as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.”[a](C) We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 10:7 Exodus 32:6

The Idolatry of Israel

11 “Harlotry, wine, and new wine (A)enslave the heart.
12 My people ask counsel from their (B)wooden idols,
And their [a]staff informs them.
For (C)the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,
And they have played the harlot against their God.
13 (D)They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,
Because their shade is good.
(E)Therefore your daughters commit harlotry,
And your brides commit adultery.

14 “I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,
Nor your brides when they commit adultery;
For the men themselves go apart with harlots,
And offer sacrifices with a (F)ritual harlot.
Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.

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Footnotes

  1. Hosea 4:12 Diviner’s rod

     11 to prostitution;(A)
old wine(B) and new wine
    take away their understanding.(C)
12 My people consult a wooden idol,(D)
    and a diviner’s rod speaks to them.(E)
A spirit of prostitution(F) leads them astray;(G)
    they are unfaithful(H) to their God.
13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops
    and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak,(I) poplar and terebinth,
    where the shade is pleasant.(J)
Therefore your daughters turn to prostitution(K)
    and your daughters-in-law to adultery.(L)

14 “I will not punish your daughters
    when they turn to prostitution,
nor your daughters-in-law
    when they commit adultery,
because the men themselves consort with harlots(M)
    and sacrifice with shrine prostitutes(N)
    a people without understanding(O) will come to ruin!(P)

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Israel’s Harlotry in Moab

25 Now Israel remained in (A)Acacia Grove,[a] and the (B)people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. (C)They invited the people to (D)the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and (E)bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and (F)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

Then the Lord said to Moses, (G)“Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, (H)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to (I)the judges of Israel, (J)“Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, (K)who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

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Footnotes

  1. Numbers 25:1 Heb. Shittim

Moab Seduces Israel

25 While Israel was staying in Shittim,(A) the men began to indulge in sexual immorality(B) with Moabite(C) women,(D) who invited them to the sacrifices(E) to their gods.(F) The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. So Israel yoked themselves to(G) the Baal of Peor.(H) And the Lord’s anger burned against them.

The Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders(I) of these people, kill them and expose(J) them in broad daylight before the Lord,(K) so that the Lord’s fierce anger(L) may turn away from Israel.”

So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death(M) those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”(N)

Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite(O) woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping(P) at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

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as (A)Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the [a]vengeance of eternal fire.

(B)Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and (C)speak evil of [b]dignitaries. Yet Michael the archangel, in [c]contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, (D)“The Lord rebuke you!” 10 (E)But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way (F)of Cain, (G)have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished (H)in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

12 These are [d]spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried [e]about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 (I)raging waves of the sea, (J)foaming up their own shame; wandering stars (K)for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

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Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:7 punishment
  2. Jude 1:8 glorious ones, lit. glories
  3. Jude 1:9 arguing
  4. Jude 1:12 stains, or hidden reefs
  5. Jude 1:12 NU, M along

In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah(A) and the surrounding towns(B) gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.(C)

In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.(D) But even the archangel(E) Michael,(F) when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses,(G) did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”[a](H) 10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.(I)

11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain;(J) they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;(K) they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.(L)

12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts,(M) eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves.(N) They are clouds without rain,(O) blown along by the wind;(P) autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted(Q)—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea,(R) foaming up their shame;(S) wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Jude 1:9 Jude is alluding to the Jewish Testament of Moses (approximately the first century a.d.).