1  Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by [the] righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ

2  [May ]grace and peace be multiplied [to you] in [your] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

2  Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;

2  Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ,

3  As His divine power has granted to us all things [pertaining] to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

3  in the same manner that all things which are for life and piety have been given to us by his Divine virtue, through the plan of him who has called us to our own glory and virtue.

3  Who has given us all things that pertain to the power of God, for life and worship of God, through the knowledge of him who has called us by his glory and excellence;

4  through which have been given to us precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through these we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

4  Through Christ, he has given us the greatest and most precious promises, so that by these things you may become sharers in the Divine Nature, fleeing from the corruption of that desire which is in the world.

4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5  But also [for] this very reason, making every effort, provide with your faith virtue, and with virtue knowledge,

5  Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in [your] virtue knowledge;

5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;

6  and with knowledge self-control, and with self-control perseverance, and with perseverance godliness,

6  and in [your] knowledge self-control; and in [your] self-control patience; and in [your] patience godliness;

6  and in knowledge, moderation; and in moderation, patience; and in patience, piety;

7  and with godliness brotherly love, and with brotherly love, love.

7  and in [your] godliness brotherly kindness; and in [your] brotherly kindness love.

7  and in piety, love of brotherhood; and in love of brotherhood, charity.

8  For if these things belong to you and are increasing, it makes you neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8  For if these things are with you, and if they abound, they will cause you to be neither empty, nor without fruit, within the plan of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8  For when these things are found among you and abound, you are not empty nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ.

9  For [he] who lacks these things is blind, being shortsighted, having forgotten the cleansing of his past sins.

9  For he who does not have these things at hand is blind and groping, being forgetful of his purification from his former offenses.

9  But he who lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

10  Therefore, brothers, be even more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for by doing these things you shall by no means stumble at any time.

10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall

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

11  For by so doing, an entrance shall be given freely to you into the everlasting kingdom of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.

12  Therefore I shall not neglect to constantly remind you concerning these things, although you know and have been established in the present truth.

12  Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with [you].

13  But I consider it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by a reminder,

13  And I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

13  Therefore I think it is right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

14  knowing that the putting off of my tent is soon, just as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

14  For it is certain that the laying to rest of this, my tabernacle, is approaching swiftly, just as our Lord Jesus Christ has also indicated to me.

15  And I will make an effort also, whenever necessary, to cause you to have a reminder of these things after my departure.

15  Yea, I will give diligence that at every time ye may be able after my decease to call these things to remembrance.

15  Be diligent always, that you may be able to keep these things in remembrance; even after my departure.

16  For we did not follow craftily devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but rather became eyewitnesses of His majesty.

17  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when a voice was brought to Him such as this by the Magnificent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

18  And we heard this voice being uttered from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

18  and this voice we [ourselves] heard borne out of heaven, when we were with him in the holy mount.

18  We also heard this voice conveyed from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19  And we have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed, as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

19  We have also a true word of prophecy; you do well when you look to it for guidance, as you look to the lamp that shines in a dark place until the dawn of day, when the sun will shine in your hearts

20  knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture comes about [from] one's own interpretation,

20  Understand this first: that every prophecy of Scripture does not result from one’s own interpretation.

21  for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, being brought along by [the] Holy Spirit.

21  For prophecy was not conveyed by human will at any time. Instead, holy men were speaking about God while inspired by the Holy Spirit.

21  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2:1  But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master, the [One] having bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

1  But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

2:2  And many will follow after their debaucheries, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

2  And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.

2  Many will follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

2:3  And by covetousness they will exploit you with fabricated words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction will not sleep.

3  And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.

2:4  For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but rather confined [them] to Tartarus, and delivered [them ]into chains of darkness, reserved for judgment;

4  For God did not spare those Angels who sinned, but instead delivered them, as if dragged down by infernal ropes, into the torments of the underworld, to be reserved unto judgment.

2:5  and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, [the] eighth, a preacher of righteousness, when He brought a flood upon the ungodly world;

5  and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

5  And he did not spare the original world, but he preserved the eighth one, Noah, the herald of justice, bringing the flood upon the world of the impious.

2:6  and reducing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned [them] to destruction, having made [them] an example who were to be ungodly,

6  and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly;

6  And he reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, condemning them to be overthrown, setting them as an example to anyone who might act impiously.

2:7  and He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the indecent conduct of lawless [men]

7  and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked

7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked

2:8  (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, tormented his righteous soul by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)-

8  For in seeing and in hearing, he was just, though he lived with those who, from day to day, crucified the just soul with works of iniquity.

8  For while that pious man dwelt among them, in seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds, his righteous soul was vexed from day to day.

2:9  [then] YHWH knows [how] to deliver the godly out of temptation and [how] to keep the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

9  Thus, the Lord knows how to rescue the pious from trials, and how to reserve the iniquitous for torments on the day of judgment;

2:10  and especially those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. [They are ]bold, self-willed, illustrious persons, they do not tremble at blaspheming,

10  but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities

10  even more so, those who walk after the flesh in unclean desires, and who despise proper authority. Boldly pleasing themselves, they do not dread to introduce divisions by blaspheming;

2:11  whereas angels, being greater in might and in power, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before YHWH.

11  whereas the Angels, who are greater in strength and virtue, did not bring against themselves such a deplorable judgment.

11  Whereas angels who are greater in power and might do not bring upon themselves the condemnation of blasphemy.

2:12  But these, as unreasoning natural animals, having been born for capture and destruction, blaspheme at things which they are ignorant of, and shall be destroyed in their destruction,

12  Yet truly, these others, like irrational beasts, naturally fall into traps and into ruin by blaspheming whatever they do not understand, and so they shall perish in their corruption,

2:13  receiving the wages of unrighteousness, counting as a pleasure to revel in the daytime, [they are] spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you,

13  And shall receive the reward of iniquity as they consider it a delightful thing to revel in the daytime. Spots and blemishes have they who sport themselves with their own deceivings as they feast in idleness;

2:14  having eyes full of adultery and unable to cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart having been trained in greediness, they are accursed children.

14  And have eyes full of adultery, and of sin that does not cease: beguiling, unstable souls are they whose hearts are well versed in covetousness: accursed sons are they.

2:15  They have left behind the straight way and have gone astray, having followed after the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

15  forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;

15  Abandoning the straight path, they wandered astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of iniquity.

2:16  but he was rebuked for his own lawlessness: a dumb donkey speaking with the voice of a man restrained the madness of the prophet.

16  Yet truly, he had a correction of his madness: the mute animal under the yoke, which, by speaking with a human voice, forbid the folly of the prophet.

16  But who was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb ass, speaking with manÆs voice, halted the folly of the prophet.

2:17  These are waterless wells, clouds being driven by a storm, for whom the darkness of the netherworld has been reserved forever.

17  These ones are like fountains without water, and like clouds stirred up by whirlwinds. For them, the mist of darkness is reserved.

17  These men are springs without water, as clouds that are carried with a tempest; the mist of darkness is reserved to them forever.

2:18  For when they speak haughty [words] of emptiness, they entice through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, those who are escaping from those who are living in error,

18  For, speaking with the arrogance of vanity, they lure, by the desires of fleshly pleasures, those who are fleeing to some extent, who are being turned from error,

2:19  promising to them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom anyone has been defeated, by this [one] also he has been enslaved.

19  They, while they promise liberty, themselves are the slaves of corruption: for a man is overcome by whatever it is that enslaves him.

19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

2:20  For if having escaped from the corruptions of the world by the knowledge of YHWH and Savior Jesus Christ, yet by these, having become entangled they are defeated, the latter end has become worse for them than the first.

20  For if, after taking refuge from the defilements of the world in the understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become entangled and overcome by these things, then the latter state becomes worse than the former.

20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

2:21  For it was better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than knowing it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

21  Verily it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment that was delivered to them.

2:22  But it has happened to them [according to] the [saying] of the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit,"and, "A sow, having washed, [returns ] to her wallowing in the mire."

22  For the truth of the proverb has happened to them: The dog has returned to his own vomit, and the washed sow has returned to her wallowing in the mud.

22  It will come to pass with them according to the true proverb, The dog returns to his own vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

3:1  This already, beloved, [is] the second letter I write to you, in [both of] which I stir up your pure mind by a reminder,

1  Consider, most beloved, this second epistle which I am writing to you, in which I stir up, by admonition, your sincere mind,

1  IT has been a long time since I have writ ten you, my beloved, but now I write you this second epistle; in both of them I have endeavored to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance

3:2  to remember the words having been previously spoken by the holy prophets, and the commandment of your apostles of YHWH and Savior;

2  that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles

2  so that you may be mindful of those words that I preached to you from the holy prophets, and of the precepts of the Apostles of your Lord and Savior.

3:3  knowing this first: that mockers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,

3  Know this first: that in the last days there will arrive deceitful mockers, walking according to their own desires,

3:4  and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers died, all things continue as from the beginning of creation."

4  saying: “Where is his promise or his advent? For from the time that the fathers have slept, all things have continued just as they were from the beginning of creation.”

3:5  For this they willingly forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and [the] earth, consisting out of water and through water,

5  But they willfully ignore this: that the heavens existed first, and that the earth, from water and through water, was established by the Word of God.

5  Of this they are willingly ignorant: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water, and in the water;

3:6  by which the world at that time perished, being flooded by water;

6  And those men, because of whose deeds the world of that time was overflowed with water, perished

3:7  but the present heavens and earth, having been stored up by His word, are being reserved for fire until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

7  But the heavens and the earth that exist now were restored by the same Word, being reserved unto fire on the day of judgment, and unto the perdition of impious men.

3:8  But in this let it not escape your notice, beloved, that one day with YHWH is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

8  But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

8  Yet truly, let this one thing not escape notice, most beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.

3:9  YHWH does not delay concerning His promise, as some reckon slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

9  The Lord is not delaying his promise, as some imagine, but he does act patiently for your sake, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting all to be turned back to penance.

3:10  But the day of YHWH shall come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements, burning with heat, shall be dissolved, both the earth and the works that are in it shall be burned up.

10  Then the day of the Lord shall arrive like a thief. On that day, the heavens shall pass away with great violence, and truly the elements shall be dissolved with heat; then the earth, and the works that are within it, shall be completely burned up.

3:11  Therefore, [seeing that] all these things shall be dissolved, what sort of [people] ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

11  Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in [all] holy living and godliness,

11  Now since all these things are to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in your holy conduct and godliness,

3:12  looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens, being set of fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements, burning with heat, shall melt?

12  waiting for, and hurrying toward, the advent of the day of the Lord, by which the burning heavens shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt from the heat of the fire.

3:13  But according to His promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

13  Yet truly, in accord with his promises, we are looking forward to the new heavens and the new earth, in which justice lives.

13  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.

3:14  Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot or blemish;

14  Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight.

3:15  and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation-just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you,

3:16  as also in all his letters, speaking in them about these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the unlearned and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

16  just as he also spoke in all of his epistles about these things. In these, there are certain things which are difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unsteady distort, as they also do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

3:17  You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on guard, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being carried away by the error of the wicked;

17  But since you, brothers, know these things beforehand, be cautious, lest by being drawn into the error of the foolish, you may fall away from your own steadfastness.

17  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

3:18  but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him [be] the glory both now and forever. Amen.

18  Yet truly, increase in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and in the day of eternity. Amen.