2 PETRUS 2
Die vals leraars en hulle dwaalleer
(Vgl. Jud. 4-13)
1 Maar daar was ook vals profete onder die volk, en so sal daar ook onder julle vals leraars kom. Hulle sal verderflike dwaalleer insmokkel en die Here wat hulle vrygekoop het, verloën. So sal hulle hulleself baie gou in die verderf stort. 2 Baie mense sal hulle losbandigheid navolg, en deur hulle toedoen sal mense kwaad praat van die Weg van die waarheid. 3 In hulle hebsug sal hulle julle met allerhande stories uitbuit. Maar hulle vonnis is lankal gevel, en hulle ondergang is onafwendbaar.
4 God het selfs die engele wat gesondig het, nie gespaar nie. Hy het hulle in die hel gestort en hulle laat boei om in die duisternis gevange gehou te word vir die oordeel. 5 Hy het ook die wêreld van die outyd nie gespaar nie, maar die sondvloed oor die wêreld van goddelose mense gebring. Net vir Noag wat die wil van God verkondig het, en sewe ander mense het Hy gered. 6 Die stede Sodom en Gomorra het Hy tot verwoesting veroordeel en tot as verbrand, en met hierdie voorbeeld het Hy getoon wat oor die goddelose mense gaan kom. 7 En tog het Hy vir Lot gered, 'n eerbare man wat gebuk moes gaan onder die losbandige lewenswyse van sedelose mense. 8 Terwyl hy tussen hulle gewoon het, moes hierdie eerbare man dag vir dag soveel van hulle gruweldade aanskou en sulke dinge aanhoor dat dit 'n foltering was vir sy opregte gemoed. 9 Die Here weet dus om dié wat Hom dien, uit beproewing te red, maar om die goddeloses te straf en vir die oordeelsdag gevange te hou. 10 Veral húlle sal gestraf word wat toegee aan hulle wellustige vleeslike begeertes en wat die gesag van die Here verag. Hierdie leraars is uitdagend en verwaand en huiwer nie om hemelwesens te beledig nie.
11 Selfs die engele, wat tog baie sterker en magtiger is, bring nie voor die Here lasterlike aanklagte teen hierdie wesens in nie. 12 Maar hierdie mense praat lasterlik van dinge waarvan hulle niks verstaan nie. Hulle is soos verstandlose wilde diere wat voortgebring word om gevang en doodgemaak te word. Soos wilde diere sal hulle ook verdelg word. 13 Vir hulle goddeloosheid sal hulle die loon van die goddelose ontvang. Hulle verlustig hulle daarin om helder oordag swelgpartye te hou. Wanneer hulle saam met julle eet, is hulle 'n smet en 'n skande omdat hulle hulle aan uitspattighede te buite gaan. 14 Hulle oë is die ene wellus, en aan sonde kry hulle net nie genoeg nie. Hulle verlei onstandvastige mense en is bedrewe geldwolwe, die vervloektes! 15 Hulle het die reguit pad verlaat en verdwaal geraak. Hulle het die weg gevolg van Bileam seun van Beor wat daarop uit was om vir geld onreg te pleeg, 16 maar wat oor sy oortreding bestraf is. 'n Stom rydier het met die stem van 'n mens gepraat en 'n einde gemaak aan die onsinnige optrede van die profeet.
17 Hierdie mense is droë fonteine, miswolke wat deur 'n stormwind voortgejaag word. Vir hulle word in die diepste duisternis plek gehou. 18 Hulle is aanmatigend en sê sinlose dinge. Met wellus en losbandigheid verlei hulle die mense wat pas vrygekom het uit die kring van dié wat op dwaalweë verkeer. 19 Hulle belowe vryheid aan hierdie mense, al is hulle self slawe van die verderf; want as iets jou in sy mag het, is jy sy slaaf. 20 Mense wat van die besmettinge van die wêreld vrygekom het deurdat hulle ons Here en Verlosser, Jesus Christus, leer ken het, en wat weer daarin vasgevang en daardeur oorweldig word, is aan die einde slegter daaraan toe as aan die begin. 21 Dit sou vir hulle beter gewees het as hulle die wil van God nie leer ken het nie as dat hulle dit wel leer ken het en daarna afgewyk het van die heilige gebod wat aan hulle oorgedra is. 22 Van hulle is die spreekwoorde waar: “'n Hond gaan terug na sy braaksel toe”t en: “'n Vark wat gewas is, gaan rol weer in die modder.”
2 Peter 2
1 BUT ALSO [in those days] there arose false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among yourselves, who will subtly and stealthily introduce heretical doctrines (destructive heresies), even denying and disowning the Master Who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.2 And many will follow their immoral ways and lascivious doings; because of them the true Way will be maligned and defamed.3 And in their covetousness (lust, greed) they will exploit you with false (cunning) arguments. From of old the sentence [of condemnation] for them has not been idle; their destruction (eternal misery) has not been asleep.4 For God did not [even] spare angels that sinned, but cast them into hell, delivering them to be kept there in pits of gloom till the judgment and their doom.5 And He spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, when He brought a flood upon the world of ungodly [people]. 6 And He condemned to ruin and extinction the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes [and thus] set them forth as an example to those who would be ungodly; 7 And He rescued righteous Lot, greatly worn out and distressed by the wanton ways of the ungodly and lawless--8 For that just man, living [there] among them, tortured his righteous soul every day with what he saw and heard of [their] unlawful and wicked deeds--9 Now if [all these things are true, then be sure] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptations and trials, and how to keep the ungodly under chastisement until the day of judgment and doom,10 And particularly those who walk after the flesh and indulge in the lust of polluting passion and scorn and despise authority. Presumptuous [and] daring [self-willed and self-loving creatures]! They scoff at and revile dignitaries (glorious ones) without trembling,11 Whereas [even] angels, though superior in might and power, do not bring a defaming charge against them before the Lord.12 But these [people]! Like unreasoning beasts, mere creatures of instinct, born [only] to be captured and destroyed, railing at things of which they are ignorant, they shall utterly perish in their [own] corruption [in their destroying they shall surely be destroyed],13 Being destined to receive [punishment as] the reward of [their] unrighteousness [suffering wrong as the hire for their wrongdoing]. They count it a delight to revel in the daytime [living luxuriously and delicately]. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions and carousing together [even] as they feast with you.14 They have eyes full of harlotry, insatiable for sin. They beguile and bait and lure away unstable souls. Their hearts are trained in covetousness (lust, greed), [they are] children of a curse [exposed to cursing]!15 Forsaking the straight road they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam [the son] of Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his own transgression when a dumb beast of burden spoke with human voice and checked the prophet’s madness. 17 These are springs without water and mists driven along before a tempest, for whom is reserved forever the gloom of darkness.18 For uttering loud boasts of folly, they beguile and lure with lustful desires of the flesh those who are barely escaping from them who are wrongdoers.19 They promise them liberty, when they themselves are the slaves of depravity and defilement--for by whatever anyone is made inferior or worse or is overcome, to that [person or thing] he is enslaved.20 For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through [the full, personal] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become entangled in them and are overcome, their last condition is worse [for them] than the first.21 For never to have obtained a [full, personal] knowledge of the way of righteousness would have been better for them than, having obtained [such knowledge], to turn back from the holy commandment which was [verbally] delivered to them.22 There has befallen them the thing spoken of in the true proverb, The dog turns back to his own vomit, and, The sow is washed only to wallow again in the mire.