2 Peter 2
1 But there arose false-prophets also among the people, as, among you also, there shall be, false-teachers, —men who will stealthily bring in destructive parties, even the Master that bought them, denying, bringing upon themselves speedy destruction;
But there were false prophets also in the nation, just as there will be false teachers among you, people who will secretly introduce ruinous divisions, disowning even the Lord who bought them, and bringing speedy ruin on themselves.
2 And, many, will follow out their wanton ways, —by reason of whom, the way of truth, will be defamed,
There will be many, too, who will follow their licentious courses, and cause the way of the truth to be maligned.
3 And, in greed, with forged words, will they, of you, make merchandise: for whom, the sentence from of old, is not idle, and, their destruction, doth not slumber.
In their covetousness they will try to make you a source of profit by their fabrications; but for a long time past their sentence has not been standing idle, nor their ruin slumbering.
4 For—if, God, spared not, messengers, when they sinned, but, to pits of gloom, consigning them, in the lowest hades, delivered them up to be kept, unto judgment, — (Tartaroō g5020)
Remember, God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them down to Tartarus, and consigned them to caverns of darkness, to be kept under guard for judgment. (Tartaroō g5020)
5 And, an ancient world, spared not, but, with seven others, preserved, Noah, a proclaimer, of righteousness, a flood, upon a world of ungodly persons, letting loose, —
Nor did he spare the world of old; though he preserved Noah, the preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when he brought a flood on the godless world.
6 And, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing to ashes, he condemned, an example of such as should be ungodly, having set forth, —
He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and reduced them to ashes, holding them up as a warning to the godless of what was in store for them;
7 And, righteous Lot, when getting worn out by the behaviour of them who were impious in wantonness, he rescued—
but he rescued righteous Lot, whose heart was vexed by the wanton licentiousness of his neighbors;
8 For, in seeing and hearing, since he dwelt right among them, as a righteous man, he used to torment his soul, day by day, with their lawless deeds—
for, seeing and hearing what he did, as he lived his righteous life among them, day after day, Lot’s righteous soul was tortured by their wicked doings.
9 [Then] the Lord knoweth how to rescue, the godly out of trial; but to keep, the unrighteous unto a day of judgment to be punished; —
The Lord, therefore, knows how to deliver the pious from temptation, and to keep the wicked, who are even now suffering punishment, in readiness for ‘the day of judgment’ –
10 Most of all, however, them who go their way, after the flesh, with a coveting of defilement, and who despise, lordship, —daring! willful! before dignitaries, they tremble not, defaming,
especially those who, following the promptings of their lower nature, indulge their polluting passions and despise all control. Audacious and self-willed, they feel no awe of the celestial beings, maligning them,
11 where, messengers, though, greater in might and power, are not bringing against them [before the Lord] a defamatory accusation, —
even where angels, though excelling them in strength and power, do not bring against them a malignant charge before the Lord.
12 These, however, as unreasoning creatures that have been bred as being, by nature, for capture and destruction, in the things they are ignorant of, uttering defamation, in their spoiling, shall also be made a spoil, —
These people, however, like animals without reason, intended by nature to be caught and killed – these people, I say, malign those of whom they know nothing, and will assuredly perish through their own corruption,
13 Doing wrong themselves, for a reward of wrong, accounting, a delight, their day-time delicacy, spots and blemishes, indulging in delicacies with their stratagems, as they carouse together with you,
suffering themselves, as the penalty for the suffering that they have inflicted. They think that pleasure consists in the self-indulgence of the moment. They are a stain and a disgrace, indulging, as they do, in their wanton revelry, even while joining you at your feasts.
14 Having, eyes, full of an adulteress, and that cannot rest from sin, enticing unstable souls, having, a heart trained in greed, —children of a curse, —
They have eyes only for adulteresses, eyes never tired of sin; they entice weak souls; their minds are trained to covet; they live under a curse.
15 Forsaking a straight path, they have gone astray, following out the way of Balaam [son] of Beor, who loved, a reward of wrong,
Leaving the straight road, they have gone astray and followed in the steps of Balaam, the son of Beor, who set his heart on the reward for wrongdoing,
16 But had, a reproof, of his own transgression, a dumb beast of burden, in man’s voice, finding utterance, forbade the prophet’s madness.
but was rebuked for his offense. A dumb animal spoke with a human voice, and checked the prophet’s madness.
17 These, are fountains without water, and mists, by a tempest, driven along, —for whom, the gloom of darkness, hath been reserved;
These people are like springs without water, or mists driven before a gale; and for them the blackest darkness has been reserved.
18 For, great swelling words of vanity, uttering, they entice with carnal covetings—in wanton ways—them who are, well-nigh, escaping from the men who, in error, have their behaviour;
With boastful and foolish talk, they appeal to the passions of people’s lower nature, and, by their profligacy, entice those who are just escaping from the people who live such misguided lives.
19 Promising, freedom to them, they themselves, being all the while, slaves of corruption, —for, by whom one hath been defeated, by the same, hath he become enslaved, —
They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to corrupt habits; for a person is the slave of anything to which they give way.
20 For, if, having escaped from the defilements of the world by a personal knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, but, by the same having again become entangled, they are defeated, the, last, state hath become, for them, worse than, the first;
If, after having escaped the polluting influences of the world, through knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, people are again entangled in them, and give way to them, their last state has become worse than their first.
21 For, better, had it been for them—not to have obtained a personal knowledge of the way of righteousness, than, having obtained such knowledge, to turn back out of the holy commandment delivered unto them.
It would, indeed, have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn away from the holy command delivered to them.
22 There hath befallen them the thing [spoken of] in the true proverb—A dog, turning back unto his own vomit, and—A sow, as soon as washed, unto wallowing in mire.
In their case is seen the truth of the proverb – ‘A dog returns to what it has vomited’ and ‘A sow after washing to her wallowing-place in the mud.’
