2 PeterChapter 2

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¹But there were also false prophets among God's people long ago. In the same way, there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in teachings that destroy. They will even deny the Master who bought them. They will bring quick destruction on themselves. ²Many people will follow their evil ways. Because of them, people will say bad things about the way of truth. ³These false teachers are greedy. They will use you by telling you lies. The judgment against them was made long ago, and it still stands. Their destruction is not asleep. ⁴For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but threw them deep into hell, and put them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;a ⁵if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but kept Noah safe, a preacher of what is right, along with seven others; ⁶if he judged the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and destroyed them, burning them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; ⁷and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man who was upset by the evil ways of lawless people ⁸(that righteous man lived among them day after day, and his righteous soul was tormented by the lawless things he saw and heard)— ⁹If all this is true, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from trials. And he knows how to hold the wicked for punishment on the day of judgment. ¹⁰This is especially true for those who follow the evil desires of the sinful nature and hate authority. These people are bold and do whatever they want. They are not afraid to speak evil of glorious beings. ¹¹But even angels don't dare to bring such insulting charges against them before the Lord. And angels are much stronger and more powerful. ¹²These men are like animals that can't think. They act only on instinct. They are born to be caught and destroyed. They speak evil about things they don't understand. And like those animals, they too will be destroyed. ¹³They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. They think it is fun to party wildly in broad daylight. They are like stains and spots among you. They enjoy their tricks while they eat with you. ¹⁴Their eyes are full of adultery. They never stop wanting to sin. They lure people who are weak in faith. Their hearts are trained in greed. They are under God's curse. ¹⁵They have left the straight road and wandered away. They follow the way of Balaam son of Beor. He loved the money he could get for doing wrong. ¹⁶But Balaam was scolded for his sin by a donkey. Donkeys can't talk, but this one spoke with a man's voice. It stopped the prophet's crazy plan. ¹⁷These men are like springs with no water. They are like mists blown by a storm. The deepest darkness is waiting for them. ¹⁸They brag with big, empty words. They use sinful desires of the body to lure people. They lure those who are just escaping from people who live in error. ¹⁹They promise these people freedom. But they themselves are slaves to evil. A person is a slave to whatever controls him. ²⁰They may have escaped the rot of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But then they get tangled up in it again and are beaten by it. If so, they end up worse off than they were at first. ²¹It would have been better for them never to have known the way of what is right. It is worse to know it and then turn away from the holy command they were given. ²²These sayings are true about them: "A dog goes back to its vomit." And, "A pig that is washed goes back to rolling in the mud."