For the man who has not these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having no memory of how he was made clean from his old sins.

For when we gave you news of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our teaching was not based on stories put together by art, but we were eye-witnesses of his glory.

And did not have mercy on the world which then was, but only kept safe Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he let loose the waters over the world of the evil-doers;

And kept safe Lot, the upright man, who was deeply troubled by the unclean life of the evil-doers

(Because the soul of that upright man living among them was pained from day to day by seeing and hearing their crimes):

Turning out of the true way, they have gone wandering in error, after the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who was pleased to take payment for wrongdoing;

But his wrongdoing was pointed out to him: an ass, talking with a man's voice, put a stop to the error of the prophet.

For it would have been better for them to have had no knowledge of the way of righteousness, than to go back again from the holy law which was given to them, after having knowledge of it.

So that you may keep in mind the words of the holy prophets in the past, and the law of the Lord and Saviour which was given to you by his Apostles.

Saying, Where is the hope of his coming? From the death of the fathers till now everything has gone on as it was from the making of the world.

But in taking this view they put out of their minds the memory that in the old days there was a heaven, and an earth lifted out of the water and circled by water, by the word of God;

And that the world which then was came to an end through the overflowing of the waters.

And be certain that the long waiting of the Lord is for salvation; even as our brother Paul has said in his letters to you, from the wisdom which was given to him;