But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in {Or, sects of perdition}destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.
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.
For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but {Or, cast them into dungeons}cast them down to {Greek: Tartarus.}hell, and committed them to {Some ancient authorities read chains. Compare Wisd. 17:17.}pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, {Greek: a herald.}a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;
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;
and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked
(for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, {Greek: tormented.}vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their lawless deeds):
the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment;
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 {Greek: glories.}dignities:
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord.
But these, as creatures without reason, born {Greek: natural.}mere animals {Or, to take and to destroy}to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their {Or, corruption Compare 1 Timothy 6:9.}destroying surely be destroyed,
suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; men that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their {Some ancient authorities read love-feasts. Compare Jude 12.}deceivings while they feast with you;
having eyes full of {Greek: an adulteress.}adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing;
forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of {Many ancient authorities read Bosor.}Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;
but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet.
These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved.
For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error;
promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of {Or, what}whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of {Many ancient authorities read our.}the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first.
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 unto them.
It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, {Proverbs 26:11.}The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.
Querverweise zu 2. Petrus 2,12 2Pet 2,12
For {Or, he seeth that wise men &c.}he shall see it. Wise men die;The fool and the brutish alike perish,And leave their wealth to others.
promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of {Or, what}whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.
A brutish man knoweth not;Neither doth a fool understand this:
whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of {Or, a}the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Consider, ye brutish among the people;And ye fools, when will ye be wise?
The wicked is thrust down in his {Or, calamity}evil-doing;But the righteous hath a refuge in his death.
For my people are foolish, they know me not; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
He said therefore again unto them, I go away, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sin: whither I go, ye cannot come.
Then I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish; for they know not the way of Jehovah, nor the law of their God:
For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.
But they are {Or, through one thing}together brutish and foolish: {Or, the stock is a doctrine of vanities}the instruction of idols! it is but a stock.
For the shepherds are become brutish, and have not inquired of Jehovah: therefore they have not {Or, dealt wisely}prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.
But thou, O Jehovah, knowest me; thou seest me, and triest my heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and {Hebrew: sanctify.}prepare them for the day of slaughter.
And I will pour out mine indignation upon thee; I will blow upon thee with the fire of my wrath; and I will deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, skilful to destroy.
But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they {Or, corrupted Compare 2 Peter 2:12 margin.}destroyed.