Book 61 2 Peter 001:001 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 001:002 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 001:003 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 001:004 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 001:005 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 001:006 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 001:007 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 001:008 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 001:009 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 001:010 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 001:011 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 001:012 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 001:013 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 001:014 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 001:015 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 001:016 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 001:017 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 001:018 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 001:019 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 001:020 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 001:021 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. 002:001 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 002:002 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 002:003 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 002:004 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 002:005 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 002:006 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 002:007 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 002:008 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 002:009 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 002:010 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 002:011 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 002:012 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 002:013 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 002:014 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 002:015 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 002:016 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 002:017 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 002:018 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 002:019 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. 002:020 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. 002:021 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 002:022 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 003:001 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 003:002 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 003:003 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 003:004 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 003:005 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 003:006 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 003:007 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 003:008 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 003:009 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 003:010 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 003:011 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 003:012 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 003:013 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 003:014 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 003:015 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 003:016 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. 003:017 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. 003:018 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. End 2nd Peter