[2 Peter 2]

 

             ^2:1 But false^* prophets happened to be also among the people, as false^* teachers will also be among you^°, who will be smuggling in sects of destruction, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing^* quick destruction upon themselves. ^2:2 And many will be following their unbridled-lusts, because of whom the way of the truth will be blasphemed. ^2:3 And they will be merchants of you^° in their greed with fabricated words, to whom the condemnation from long-ago is not idle, and their destruction will not be slumbering.

             ^2:4 For^* if God did not spare messengers who sinned, but threw them into Tartarus {i.e., Hell} and gave them up to restraints of blackness, being kept ^*for judgment; ^2:5 and he did not spare the ancient world, but guarded Noah, the eighth person spared, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought^* a flood upon the world of ungodly people; {Gen 7:23, 8:1-22} ^2:6 and he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with a catastrophe, incinerated them, and has placed them as an example for the ones who are about to be ungodly; {Gen 19:1-38} ^2:7 and he rescued righteous Lot, who was being subjugated by the conduct of the immoral in their unbridled-lust ^2:8 (for^* that righteous man, who was dwelling among them, was tormenting his righteous soul by seeing and hearing their lawless works day from day {i.e., daily.}).

             ^2:9 The Lord knows how to rescue the devout out-of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous (being punished) toward a day of judgment, ^2:10 and especially the ones conducting-themselves after the flesh in the lust of defilement and while despising lordship. They are self-willed daring ones who are not trembling when blaspheming heavenly glories, ^2:11 whereas messengers (though being greater in strength and power), do not bring a blasphemous judgment against them beside the Lord. ^2:12 But these unrighteous men are like natural unreasoning creatures, having been born ^*for apprehension and corruption, blaspheming in things which they are ignorant of, and they will be utterly corrupted in their corruption. ^2:13 They will be getting the wages of unrighteousness, those who are deeming the carousing in the day to be a sensual-delight. They are stains and blemishes, carousing in their own various deceptions, while feasting sumptuously alongside you^°, ^2:14 having eyes full of an adulteress and an unceasing sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart which has been exercised from greed, having children of the curse, ^2:15 and left the straight way. They were misled and followed in the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved^* the wages of unrighteousness; {Num 22:5} ^2:16 but he had his reproof from his own violation of the law: a voiceless burro spoke in a human voice, and forbade the insanity of the prophet.

             ^2:17 These people are waterless springs, clouds being driven by a gale to whom the blackness of darkness has been kept forever. ^2:18 For^*the ones who really had fled away from the ones who are conducting themselves in error with^* the lusts of the flesh and unbridled-lusts, while speaking flattering-words of futility. ^2:19 While promising them freedom, they themselves are^* bondservants of corruption. For^* in what anyone has been overpowered, in this, he has also been enslaved. ^2:20 For^* if they fled away from the defilements of the world in the full knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and yet again were entangled then they are overpowered in these things, the last things has become worse to them than the first. ^2:21 For^* it was better for them to have not fully known the way of righteousness, than to turn away from the holy commandment which was given to them after they fully knew it. ^2:22 But it has befallen to them as the way of the true^* proverb, ‘The dog returned to its own vomit,’ and the sow which had fully-washed to a wallowing in the mud. {Prov. 26:11}