2 Peter

2 But there arose false-prophets also among the people, As among you also there shall be false-teachers,—Men who will stealthily bring in destructive parties, Even the Master that bought them denying Bringing upon themselves speedy destruction;

2 And many will follow out their wanton ways,—By reason of whom the way of truth will be defamed,

3 And in greed with forged words will they of you make merchandise: For whom the sentence from of old is not idle, And their destruction doth not slumber.

4 For—if God spared not messengers when they sinned But to pits of gloom consigning them in the lowest hades delivered them up to be kept unto judgment,—

5 And an ancient world spared not, But with seven others preserved Noah a proclaimer of righteousness, A flood upon a world of ungodly persons letting loose,—

6 And the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah reducing to ashes he condemned, An example of such as should be ungodly having set forth,—

7 And righteous Lot when getting worn out by the behaviour of them who were impious in wantonness he rescued—

8 For in seeing and hearing since he dwelt right among them as a righteous man he used to torment his soul day by day with their lawless deeds—

9 [Then] the Lord knoweth how to rescue the godly out of trial; But to keep the unrighteous unto a day of judgment to be punished;—

10 Most of all however them who go their way after the flesh with a coveting of defilement and who despise lordship,—Daring! willful! Before dignitaries they tremble not, Defaming

11 where messengers though greater in might and power are not bringing against them [before the Lord] a defamatory accusation,—

12 These however As unreasoning creatures that have been bred as being by nature for capture and destruction In the things they are ignorant of uttering defamation, In their spoiling shall also be made a spoil,—

13 Doing wrong themselves for a reward of wrong, Accounting a delight their day-time delicacy, Spots and blemishes, indulging in delicacies with their stratagems as they carouse together with you,

14 Having eyes full of an adulteress and that cannot rest from sin, Enticing unstable souls, Having a heart trained in greed,—Children of a curse,—

15 Forsaking a straight path they have gone astray, Following out the way of Balaam [son] of Beor Who loved a reward of wrong,

16 But had a reproof of his own transgression, A dumb beast of burden in man’s voice finding utterance forbade the prophet’s madness.

17 These are fountains without water And mists by a tempest driven along,—For whom the gloom of darkness hath been reserved;

18 For great swelling words of vanity uttering they entice with carnal covetings—in wanton ways—them who are well-nigh escaping from the men who in error have their behaviour;

19 Promising freedom to them they themselves being all the while slaves of corruption,—For by whom one hath been defeated by the same hath he become enslaved,—

20 For if having escaped from the defilements of the world by a personal knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but by the same having again become entangled they are defeated The last state hath become for them worse than the first;

21 For better had it been for them—Not to have obtained a personal knowledge of the way of righteousness, Than having obtained such knowledge to turn back out of the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 There hath befallen them the thing [spoken of] in the true proverb—A dog turning back unto his own vomit, And—A sow as soon as washed unto wallowing in mire.