2 Peter

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those having obtained a faith equally precious with ours, through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you⁺ in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Accordingly, His divine power has given to us all things toward life and godliness, through the knowledge of the One having called us [by His] own glory and excellence,

through which He has given to us the precious and magnificent promises, so that through these you⁺ might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption in the world in evil desire.

Now also for this very [reason], having brought in all diligence, supply in your⁺ faith virtue, and in virtue knowledge,

and in knowledge self-control, and in self-control perseverance, and in perseverance godliness,

and in godliness brotherly affection, and in brotherly affection love.

For these things being in you⁺ and abounding make [you] neither idle nor unfruitful in regard to the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For in whomever these things are not present, he is blind, being shortsighted, having received forgetfulness of the cleansing [from] his former sins.

Therefore, brothers, be diligent, rather, to make your⁺ calling and election sure. For [in] doing these things, never at any time shall you⁺ stumble.

For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you⁺.

And we have the more certain prophetic word, to which you⁺ do well taking heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until this day shall have dawned and the morning star shall have arisen in your⁺ hearts,

knowing this first, that every prophecy of Scripture is not of its own interpretation.

For not by the will of man was prophecy brought forth at any time, but being carried by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God.

But there were also false prophets among the people, as also among you⁺ there will be false teachers who will stealthily introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master having bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

For if God did not spare the angels having sinned, but having cast [them] down to Tartarus in chains of gloomy darkness, He delivered [them], being kept for judgment;

and He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, having reduced [them] to ashes, having set an example of what is coming on the ungodly;

and He delivered righteous Lot, being distressed by the conduct in sensuality of the lawless

[then] the Lord knows to deliver the devout out of trial and to keep the unrighteous being punished unto the day of judgment,

and especially those going after the flesh in the passion of defilement and despising authority. Bold, self-willed, they are not afraid of blaspheming glorious ones,

whereas angels, being greater in strength and power, do not bring against them a blasphemous judgment before the Lord.

having eyes full of adultery, and unceasing from sin; enticing unstable souls; having a heart having been trained in covetousness—children of a curse!

Having forsaken the straight way, they went astray, having followed after the way of Balaam [son] of Beor, who loved the wage of unrighteousness.

For speaking great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the passions of the flesh to sensuality those barely escaping from those conducting themselves in error,

promising to them freedom, themselves being slaves of corruption. For by what anyone has been subdued, by that also he is enslaved.

For if, having escaped from the pollutions of the world in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now again having been entangled in these they are subdued, the last [state] has become worse to them than the first.

For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, having known [it], to have turned from the holy commandment having been delivered to them.

The thing of the true proverb has happened to them: “A dog having returned to [its] own vomit,” and, “A sow, having washed, to [her] rolling place in the mire.”

to remember the words having been spoken beforehand by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of the Lord and Savior by your⁺ apostles,

first knowing this, that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, going according to their own passions

All these things being dissolved in this way, what kind is it necessary for you⁺ to be? [It is] in holy conduct and godliness,

anticipating and hastening the coming of the day of God, by which the heavens will be dissolved, being set on fire, and the elements melt, burning with heat.

Therefore, beloved, anticipating these things, be diligent, without spot and without blemish, to be found by Him in peace.

And esteem the patience of our Lord [as] salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom having been given to him, wrote to you⁺,

as also in all the letters, speaking in them concerning these things, in which some things are difficult to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable distort, as also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

But grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him [be] the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.