2 Peter 2

(Jude 1:3–16)

1NowG1161 there wereG1096 alsoG2532 false prophetsG5578 amongG1722 theG3588 peopleG2992, justG2532 asG5613 there will beG1510 false teachersG5572 amongG1722 youG4771. They will secretly introduceG3919 destructiveG684 heresiesG139, evenG2532 denyingG720 theG3588 MasterG1203 who boughtG59 themG846—bringingG1863 swiftG5031 destructionG684 on themselvesG1438. 2ManyG4183 will follow inG1811 theirG846 depravityG766, and because ofG1223 them theG3588 wayG3598 ofG3588 truthG225 will be defamedG987. 3InG1722 their greedG4124, these false teachers will exploitG1710 youG4771 with deceptiveG4112 wordsG3056. TheG3588 longstandingG1597 verdictG2917 against themG3739 remains in forceG3756G691, andG2532 theirG846 destructionG684 does notG3756 sleepG3573.

4ForG1063 ifG1487 GodG2316 did notG3756 spareG5339 the angelsG32 when they sinnedG264, butG235 cast them deep into hellG5020,1 placingG3860 them in chainsG4577 of darknessG2217 to be heldG5083 forG1519 judgmentG2920; 5if He did not spareG3756G5339 the ancientG744 worldG2889 when He broughtG1863 the floodG2627 on its ungodlyG765 people, butG235 preservedG5442 NoahG3575, a preacherG2783 of righteousnessG1343, among the eightG3590; 6if He condemnedG2632 the citiesG4172 of SodomG4670 andG2532 GomorrahG1116 to destructionG2692,2 reducing them to ashesG5077 as an exampleG5262 of what is coming onG3195 the ungodlyG765;3 7andG2532 if He rescuedG4506 LotG3091, a righteousG1342 man distressedG2669 byG5259 theG3588 depravedG1722G766 conductG391 of theG3588 lawlessG113 8(forG1063 thatG3588 righteousG1342 man, livingG1460 amongG1722 themG846 dayG2250 afterG1537 dayG2250, was tormentedG928 in his righteousG1342 soulG5590 by the lawlessG459 deedsG2041 he sawG990 andG2532 heardG189)— 9if all this is so, then the LordG2962 knows howG1492 to rescueG4506 the godlyG2152 fromG1537 trialsG3986 andG1161 to holdG5083 the unrighteousG94 for punishmentG2849 onG1519 the dayG2250 of judgmentG2920.

10Such punishment is speciallyG3122 reserved for those whoG3588 indulgeG4198G1722 the corruptG3394 desiresG1939 ofG3694 the fleshG4561 andG2532 despiseG2706 authorityG2963. BoldG5113 and self-willedG829, they are unafraidG3756G5141 to slanderG987 glorious beingsG1391.4 11Yet not evenG3699G3756 angelsG32, though greaterG3173 in strengthG2479 andG2532 powerG1411, dare to bringG5342 such slanderousG989 chargesG2920 againstG2596 themG846 beforeG3844 the LordG2962.

12

TheseG3778 men are likeG5613 irrationalG249 animalsG2226, creatures of instinctG5446, bornG1080 to be capturedG259 andG2532 destroyedG5356. They blasphemeG987 inG1722 matters they do not understandG50, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyedG2532G5351. 13The harm they will sufferG91 is the wagesG3408 of their wickednessG93.

They consider itG2233 a pleasureG2237 to carouseG5172 inG1722 broad daylightG2250. They are blotsG4696 andG2532 blemishesG3470, revelingG1792 inG1722 theirG846 deceptionG539 as they feast withG4910 youG4771. 14Their eyesG3788 areG2192 fullG3324 of adulteryG3428; their desire for sin is never satisfiedG180G266; they seduceG1185 the unstableG793G5590. They are accursedG2671 childrenG5043 withG2192 heartsG2588 trainedG1128 in greedG4124.

15They have leftG2641 the straightG2117 wayG3598 and wandered offG4105 to followG1811 theG3588 wayG3598 of BalaamG903 son of BeorG1007,5 whoG3739 lovedG25 the wagesG3408 of wickednessG93. 16ButG1161 he wasG2192 rebukedG1649 for hisG2398 transgressionG3892 by a donkeyG5268, otherwise without speechG880, that spokeG5350 withG1722 a man’sG444 voiceG5456 and restrainedG2967 theG3588 prophet’sG4396 madnessG3913.

17TheseG3778 men areG1510 springsG4077 without waterG504 andG2532 mistsG887 drivenG1643 byG5259 a stormG2978. BlackestG2217 darknessG4655 is reservedG5083 for themG3739. 18With loftyG5246 but emptyG3153 words, they appealG5350 to the sensualG766 passionsG1939 of the fleshG4561 and enticeG1185 thoseG3588 who are justG3641 escapingG668 from others whoG3588 liveG390 inG1722 errorG4106. 19They promiseG1861 themG846 freedomG1657, while they themselvesG846 areG5225 slavesG1401 to depravityG5356. ForG1063 a man is a slaveG3778G2532G1402 to whateverG3739 has mastered himG5100G2274.

20IfG1487 indeedG1063 they have escapedG668 theG3588 corruptionG3393 of theG3588 worldG2889 throughG1722 the knowledgeG1922 ofG3588 our LordG2962 andG2532 SaviorG4990 JesusG2424 ChristG5547,6 onlyG1161 to be entangledG1707 and overcomeG2274 by itG3778 againG3825, theirG846 finalG2078 condition isG1096 worse thanG5501 it was at firstG4413. 21It would have beenG1510 betterG2909 for themG846 notG3361 to have knownG1921 theG3588 wayG3598 of righteousnessG1343 thanG2228 to have knownG1921 it and then to turn awayG5290 fromG1537 theG3588 holyG40 commandmentG1785 passed onG3860 to themG846. 22Of themG846 theG3588 proverbsG3942 areG4819 trueG227: “A dogG2965 returnsG1994 toG1909 its vomitG1829,”7 andG2532, “A sowG5300 that is washedG3068 goes back toG1519 her wallowingG2946 in the mudG1004.”