2 Peter 2

1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.2 And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.3 And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.4 For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;5 and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly;7 and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds):9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment;10 but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities:11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord.12 But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed,13 suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; men that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their deceivings while they feast with you;14 having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing;15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;16 but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man’s voice and stayed the madness of the prophet.17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved.18 For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error;19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first.21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.22 It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.

2 Peter 2

The False Teachers’ Ungodly Lifestyle

1 But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.s These false teacherst wills infiltrate your midstt with destructive heresies,t even to the point oft denying the Master who bought them. As a result, they will bringt swift destruction on themselves.2 And many will follow their debauched lifestyles.t Because of these false teachers,t the way of truth will be slandered.t

3 And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Theirt condemnation pronounced long agot is not sitting idly by;t theirt destruction is not asleep.
4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned,t but threw them into hellt and locked them upt in chainss in utter darkness,t to be kept until the judgment,5 and if he did not spare the ancient world, but did protect Noah, a herald of righteousness, along with seven others,t when Godt brought a flood on an ungodly world,t6 and if he turned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah when he condemned them to destruction,sts having appointedt them to serve as an examplet to future generations of the ungodly,t7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man in anguish over the debauched lifestyle of lawlesst men,t8 (for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soult by the lawless deeds he saw and heardt)9 – if so,t then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials,t and to reserve the unrighteous for punishmentt at the day of judgment,

10 especially those who indulge their fleshly desirest and who despise authority.
Brazen and insolent,t they are not afraid to insultt the glorious ones,t11 yet event angels, who are much more powerful,t do not bring a slanderoust judgment against them before the Lord.s12 Butt these men,t like irrational animals – creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyedt – do not understand whomt they are insulting, and consequentlyt in their destruction they will be destroyed,t13 suffering harm as the wages for their harmful ways.t By considering it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight,t they are stains and blemishes, indulgingt in their deceitful pleasures when they feast together with you.14 Their eyes,t full of adultery,t never stop sinning;t they enticet unstable people.t They have trained their hearts for greed, these cursed children!t15 By forsaking the right path they have gone astray, because they followed the way of Balaam son of Bosor,t who loved the wages of unrighteousness,t

16 yet was rebukedt for his own transgression (a dumb donkey,t speaking with a human voice,t restrained the prophet’s madness).s
17 These ment are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm, for whom the utter depths of darknesst have been reserved.18 For by speaking high-sounding but empty wordst they are able to entice,t with fleshly desires and with debauchery,t peoplet who have just escapedt from those who reside in error.t19 Although these false teachers promiset such peoplet freedom, they themselves are enslaved tot immorality.t For whatever a person succumbs to, to that he is enslaved.t20 For if after they have escaped the filthy thingst of the world through the rich knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,s theyt again get entangled in them and succumb to them,t their last state has become worse for them than their first.21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment that had been delivered to them.

22 They are illustrations of this true proverb:t “A dog returns to its own vomit,”t and “A sow, after washing herself,t wallows in the mire.”t