2 Peter 2

Appearance of false teachers

1 But false prophets also arose among the people. In the same way, false teachers will come among you. They will introduce destructive opinions and deny the master who bought them, bringing quick destruction on themselves.2 Many will follow them in their unrestrained immorality, and because of these false teachers the way of truth will be slandered.

3 In their greed they will take advantage of you with lies. The judgment pronounced against them long ago hasn’t fallen idle, nor is their destruction sleeping.

Active judgment of God

4 God didn’t spare the angels when they sinned but cast them into the lowest level of the underworld and committed them to chains of darkness, keeping them there until the judgment.5 And he didn’t spare the ancient world when he brought a flood on the world of ungodly people, even though he protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, along with seven others.6 God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to total destruction, reducing them to ashes as a warning to ungodly people.7 And he rescued righteous Lot, who was made miserable by the unrestrained immorality of unruly people. (8 While that righteous man lived among them he felt deep distress every day on account of the immoral actions he saw and heard.)9 These things show that the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and how to keep the unrighteous for punishment on the Judgment Day.

10 This is especially true for those who follow after the corrupt cravings of the sinful nature and defy the Lord’s authority.
These reckless, brash people aren’t afraid to insult the glorious ones,

Evil character of the false teachers

11 yet angels, who are stronger and more powerful, don’t use insults when pronouncing the Lord’s judgment on them.12 These false teachers are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They slander what they don’t understand and, like animals, they will be destroyed.

13 In this way, they will receive payment for their wrongdoing.
They even enjoy unruly parties in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, taking delight in their seductive pleasures while feasting with you.14 They are always looking for someone with whom to commit adultery. They are always on the lookout for opportunities to sin. They ensnare people whose faith is weak. They have hearts trained in greed. They are under God’s curse.15 Leaving the straight path, they have gone off course, following the way of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the payment of doing wrong.

16 But Balaam was rebuked for his wrongdoing. A donkey, which has no voice, spoke with a human voice and put a stop to the prophet’s madness.
17 These false teachers are springs without water, mists driven by the wind. The underworld has been reserved for them.18 With empty, self-important speech, they use sinful cravings and unrestrained immorality to ensnare people who have only just escaped life with those who have wandered from the truth.19 These false teachers promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of immorality; whatever overpowers you, enslaves you.20 If people escape the moral filth of this world through the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, then get tangled up in it again and are overcome by it, they are worse off than they were before.21 It would be better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having come to know it, to turn back from the holy commandment entrusted to them.

22 They demonstrate the truth of the proverb: "A dog returns to its own vomit, and a washed sow wallows in the mud."

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