2Pe 2 | NASB2020 | STEP | But false prophets also appeared among the people , just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies , even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves .

2 Peter 2

The Appearance of False Prophets

1 But ^afalse prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be ^bfalse teachers ^camong you, who will ^dsecretly introduce ^edestructive heresies, even ^fdenying the ^gMaster who ^hbought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Many will follow their ⁱindecent behavior, and because of them ^jthe way of the truth will be ^kmaligned; 3 and in their ^lgreed they will ^mexploit you with ⁿfalse words; ^otheir judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

4 For ^pif God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into ^{▼▼Gr Tartarus, a name used as a reference to the netherworld (hell)}hell and ^rcommitted them to ^{▼▼One early ms chains of darkness}pits of darkness, held for judgment; 5 and did not spare ^tthe ancient world, but protected ^uNoah, a ^{▼▼Or herald}preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a ^wflood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He ^xcondemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an ^yexample ^{▼▼One early ms to those who were going to live ungodly lives}of what is coming for the ^aaungodly; 7 and if He ^abrescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the ^acperverted conduct of ^{▼▼Or disgraceful
,} ^aeunscrupulous people 8 (for by what he saw and heard that ^afrighteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), 9 ^agthen the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from ^{▼▼Or temptation; one early ms trials (temptations)}a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the ^aiday of judgment, 10 and especially those who ^{▼▼Lit go after
,} ^akindulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and ^aldespise ^{▼▼Lit lordship}authority.

^{▼▼Or Audacious}Reckless, ^aoself-centered, they ^apspeak abusively of angelic ^{▼▼Lit glories}majesties without trembling, 11 ^arwhereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But ^asthese, like unreasoning animals, ^atborn as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in ^{▼▼Lit their destruction also}the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13 suffering wrong as ^avthe wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to ^awrevel in the ^axdaytime. They are stains and blemishes, ^ayreveling in their ^{▼▼One early ms love feasts}deceptions as they ^bafeast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery ^{▼▼Lit and unceasing from sin}that never cease from sin, ^bcenticing ^bdunstable souls, having hearts trained in ^begreed, ^bfaccursed children; 15 abandoning ^bgthe right way, they have gone astray, having followed ^bhthe way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^bithe ^{▼▼Or wages}reward of unrighteousness; 16 but he received a rebuke for his own offense, ^bkfor a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.

17 These are ^blsprings without water and mists driven by a storm, ^bmfor whom the ^{▼▼Lit blackness of darkness}black darkness has been reserved. 18 For, while speaking out ^boarrogant words of no ^bpvalue they ^bqentice by fleshly desires, by ^brindecent behavior, those who barely ^bsescape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^btby what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have ^buescaped the defilements of the world by ^bvthe knowledge of the ^bwLord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again ^bxentangled in them and are overcome, ^bythe last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 ^bzFor it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from ^cathe holy commandment ^cbhanded on to them. 22 ^{▼▼Lit The thing of the true proverb has happened to them}It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “ ^cdA dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”