2 Peter, 2

1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

1. Just as there have been false prophets in the midst of the people of Israel, so will there be false teachers among you. They will introduce harmful sects and, by denying the Master who saved them, they will bring upon themselves sudden perdition.

2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

2. Many, nonetheless, will imitate their vices and because of them the Way of Truth will be discredited.

3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

3. They will take advantage of you with deceitful words for the sake of money. But their condemnation has already begun and their destruction awaits them.

4. For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

4. In fact, God did not pardon the angels who sinned but cast them into hell, confining them in the dark pits, keeping them there until the Day of Judgment.

5. And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

5. Neither did he pardon the ancient world when he unleashed the waters of the flood upon the world of wicked people, but protected only Noah, the eighth prophet of righteousness.

6. And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

6. God also condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes, to serve as a warning to the wicked in the future.

7. And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

7. But he saved Lot, a good man deeply afflicted by the unbridled conduct of those vicious people.

8. (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;)

8. For Lot, a righteous man who lived in their midst, suffered day after day in the goodness of his heart as he saw and heard of their crimes.

9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

9. So, then, the Lord knows how to free from trial those who serve him and keep the wicked for punishment on the Day of Judgment.

10. But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous [are they], selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

10. He will do this especially for certain people who follow the baser desires of their nature and despise the Lord's majesty. Proud and daring they are not afraid of insulting fallen spirits

11. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

11. while the angels, who are superior to them in strength and power, do not permit themselves any injurious accusation in the presence of the Lord.

12. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

12. Those people are like irrational animals born to be caught and killed; after they have slandered what they cannot understand, they will end like animals

13. And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, [as] they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots [they are] and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

13. and they will suffer the repayment of their wickedness. They enjoy fleeting pleasures; they are obscene and vicious who delight in deceiving you when they share in your fraternal meals.

14. Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

14. They cannot look at a woman without desiring her, they do not tire of sinning and seducing weak souls. They are full of greed - an accursed people.

15. Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

15. They abandoned the right way and followed Balaam, son of Beor who was attached to what he gained from his wrongdoing.

16. But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

16. But he was rebuked for his sin: his she-ass began to speak with a human voice, stopping the prophet in his madness.

17. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

17. These people are like waterless springs, clouds driven by a storm which move swiftly into the blackest darkness.

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.

18. With their boastful and empty discourses, they encourage the lust and impure desire of those who have just freed themselves from the common errors.

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.

19. They promise freedom when they themselves are slaves of corruption: for people are slaves to whatever dominates them.

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.

20. Indeed, after being freed from worldly vices through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they returned to those vices and surrendered to them; and their present state has become worse than the first.

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.

21. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of holiness than, knowing it, to turn away from the sacred doctrine that they had been taught.

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.

22. In their case these proverbs are relevant: "The dog turns back to its own vomit," and: "Hardly has the pig been washed than it again wallows in the mud."