1 1 Symeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of our God, and the Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. 3 Seeing that his Divine power hath given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness; 4 through which he hath given us exceedingly great and precious promises, that by these ye may become partakers of the Divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world through lust; 5 even for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, 6 and to knowledge self-control, and to self-control endurance, and to endurance godliness, 7 and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are in you and abound, they make you neither inactive nor unfruitful in gaining the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye will never fall. 11 For in this way the entrance will be richly furnished you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 12 Wherefore I shall be careful always to remind you of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth that is with you. 13 Yea, I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by reminding you; 14 knowing that I must soon put off my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ declared to me. 15 Moreover I shall endeavor that at all times ye may be able, after my departure, to call these things to mind. 16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but had been made eye-witnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when such a voice as this was borne to him from the excellent glory: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” 18 And this voice we heard borne from heaven when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 And we have more sure the prophetic word, to which ye do well in taking heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture cometh from private interpretation. 21 For prophecy never came by the will of man; but moved by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God.
2 1 But there arose false prophets also among the people, as there will be false teachers among you also, who will stealthily bring in destructive factions, even denying the Lord that bought them; bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their dissolute ways, by reason of whom the way of truth will be evil spoken of; 3 and in covetousness will they with feigned words make merchandise of you; for whom the judgment long ago ordained lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not. 4 For if God spared not angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them over to chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 and spared not the old world, but saved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning into ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, condemned them to overthrow, making them an example for those who in after time should live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, distressed by the lewd conduct of the lawless men; 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing tormented his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds;) 9 the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unrighteous under punishment to the day of judgment; 10 but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise dominion. Presumptuous, self-willed, they are not afraid to rail at dignities; 11 whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, bring not against them a railing accusation; 12 but these, as brute beasts, by nature born to be taken and destroyed, railing at things which they understand not, shall even perish in their own corruption, 13 receiving the wages of unrighteousness. Counting it pleasure to riot in the day-time, spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceits while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of an adulteress, and that cannot cease from sin, alluring unstable souls, having a heart exercised in covetousness, children of a curse, 15 they have forsaken the right way, and have gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 16 but was rebuked for his iniquity; the dumb ass, speaking with man's voice, restrained the madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, and mists driven by a tempest; for whom the blackness of darkness is reserved. 18 For speaking great swelling words of vanity, they allure in the lusts of the flesh, by dissolute ways, such as were in some measure escaping from those who live in error; 19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by the same is he also brought into bondage. 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 last state is worse with them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 It hath happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog returned to his own vomit; and, The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.
3 1 This second letter, beloved, I now write to you, in both which I stir up your pure minds by putting you in remembrance; 2 that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of the Lord and Saviour by your apostles; 3 knowing this first, that there will come in the last days open scoffers following their own lusts, 4 and saying, Where is his promised coming? for, from the time when the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as then, and as they have continued from the beginning of the creation. 5 For of this they are willingly ignorant, that of old by the word of God there were heavens, and an earth formed out of the water and by the water, 6 by means of which the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished; 7 but the present heavens and the present earth are by his word kept in store, reserved for fire against the day of judgment and the perdition of ungodly men. 8 But forget not, beloved, this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not tardy concerning his promise, as some men count tardiness; but is long-suffering toward you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein will be burned up. 11 Seeing that all these things are thus to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat! 13 But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, be diligent that ye may be found without spot and blameless before him in peace, 15 and account the long-suffering of our Lord salvation; as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things; in which things are some that are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 Do ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things beforehand, beware lest, being led away with the error of the lawless, ye fall from your own steadfastness. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and for ever.