1

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God, and of our Savior Jesus Christ:

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

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. This is through the knowledge of him that called us by his own glory and virtue excellence .

4 He offered us his precious and exceedingly great promises. Through these you may become partakers of the divine nature. You will escape from the corruption that is in the lust-filled world.

5 Yes, for this very reason you do your part with all diligence. Supply virtue to your faith. Add knowledge to your virtue.

6 Include self-control with your knowledge. Supply patience to your self-control. Your patience should be helped by godliness.

7 Add brotherly kindness to your godliness. And to your brotherly kindness add love.

8 For if these things are yours and abound in you they will keep you from being inactive or unfruitful regarding the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.

10 Brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election choosing sure. If you do practice exercise apply these things, you will never stumble!

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

12 I will always be ready to remind you of these things. Even though you know them, and are established in the truth that is present with you.

13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by reminding you.

14 I know that putting off my earthly dwelling is imminent, even as our Lord Jesus Christ indicated to me.

15 I will be diligent so that every time after my departure you will remember these things.

16 We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when he heard the voice from the Majestic Glory: »This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.«

18 We heard this voice from out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 We have the word of prophecy made sure steadfast firm ! You do well that you pay attention to God’s Word as you would to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the daystar rises, in your hearts.

20 Know this first that no prophecy of scripture is for private interpretation.

21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man! Men spoke from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

2

1 There arose false prophets among the people. There will be false teachers among you! They will privately bring in destructive heresies contrary doctrines , denying even the Master who bought them. They bring swift destruction on themselves.

2 Many will follow their lascivious filthy sensual deeds. The way of the truth will be maligned.

3 They speak evil words about you because of their extreme greed. They will exploit you with false evil words. Their judgment from long ago is not idle. Their destruction will not delay.

4 God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to captivity in pits of darkness reserved for judgment!

5 He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly!

6 He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, and made them an example to those who are ungodly.

7 He delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked.

8 That righteous man that dwelled among them was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.

9 Jehovah knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to preserve the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment. (Psalm 34:19) (Matthew 25:46)

10 This is primarily for those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble at glorious ones but speak abusively.

11 Angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring an accusation of abusive judgment against them before Jehovah.

12 But these are creatures without reason. They were born mere animals to be taken and destroyed! They speak abusively in matters of which they are ignorant. They suffer destruction in their own course of destruction.

13 They suffer wrong as their reward for wrongdoing. They are men that count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you.

14 They have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin! They entice unsteady persons. Their hearts are full of covetousness. They are children of cursing.

15 They went astray, forsaking the right way. They followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing.

16 He was rebuked for his own transgression. A beast of burden spoke with a man's voice and restrained hindered the madness of the prophet.

17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved.

18 For, uttering arrogant words of vanity, they entice in the desires lusts of the flesh, by sensuality lasciviousness , those who are just escaping from the ones who live in error.

19 They promise them freedom, while they are bondservants of corruption. A man is brought into bondage by one and enslaved by another.

20 After they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome; the last state is worse with them than the first.

21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

22 It happened to them according to the true proverb: »The dog returns to his own vomit, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.«

3

1 This is the second letter I write to you, beloved. I stimulate your memory in each letter.

2 You should remember the words that were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.

3 Know this first, that in the last days, mockers will come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,

4 Saying, »Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep in death , all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.«

5 For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God,

6 by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.

7 According to the same word, the heavens that now are, and the earth, are reserved for fire, being kept for the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8 Do not forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with Jehovah as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (Psalm 90:1, 4)

9 Jehovah is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness. He is longsuffering patient toward you. He does not wish that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 The day of Jehovah will come as a thief. The heavens will pass away with a great noise. The elements shall be dissolved with intense heat. And the earth and the works in it will be burned up destroyed . (Joel 2:31) (Zephaniah 1:14)

11 Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved destroyed , what manner of persons should you be in all holy living and godliness?

12 Look for and earnestly desire the coming presence of the »Day of Jehovah.« (Zephaniah 1:14) The heavens being on fire will be dissolved destroyed , and the elements will melt with intense heat!

13 We look for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. This is according to his promise.

14 Seeing that you anticipate these things, be diligent that you may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight.

15 Consider the patience of our Lord as salvation. Just as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you.

16 He spoke about these things in his letters. Some things are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable distort them as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, avoid being carried away with the error of the wicked and falling from your own steadfastness.

18 Grow in the unmerited favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.