For his divine power has given us every requisite for life and piety, through our coming to know him who through his glory and excellence called us to him.

For it was through this that he gave us what we prize as the greatest of his promises, that through them you might participate in the divine nature, now that you have fled from the corruption in the world, resulting from human passions.

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

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.

Therefore, brothers, instead be diligent to make your calling and selection sure, for doing these things, ye would, no, not ever stumble.

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.

knowing that the laying aside of this earthly tent of mine is imminent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return of our Lord Jesus Christ; no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur.

and thus we have gained fresh confirmation of the prophetic word. Pray attend to that word; it shines like a lamp within a darksome spot, till the Day dawns and the daystar rises within your hearts ??20 understanding this, at the outset, that no prophetic scripture allows a man to interpret it by himself;

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

Now there were false prophets among the people, just as there also will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.

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.

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;

then [in light of the fact that all this is true, be sure that] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and how to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,

But specially those who go after the unclean desires of the flesh, and make sport of authority. Ready to take chances, uncontrolled, they have no fear of saying evil of those in high places:

whereas angels, who excel in might and in power, bring no railing accusation against them in the presence of the Lord.

But these men, like beasts without reason, whose natural use is to be taken and put to death, crying out against things of which they have no knowledge, will undergo that same destruction which they are designing for others;

having eyes full of adultery, and insatiable of sin; ensnaring souls of no stability; having a heart practised in all the wiles of covetousness; children for a curse:

Such people are like springs that give no water and clouds driven by the winds. [Only] the blackest darkness awaits them.

For, great swelling words of vanity, uttering, they entice with carnal covetings - in wanton ways - them who are, well-nigh, escaping from the men who, in error, have their behaviour;

For if people who have escaped from the defiling practices of the world by coming to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, become tangled up in them again, and are overcome by them, these people are worse off than before they were converted.

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.

Their case is that described in the true proverb, "A dog returns to what he has vomited," and also in the other proverb, "The sow has washed itself and now goes back to roll in its filth."

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

First of all, know [without any doubt] that mockers will come in the last days with their mocking, following after their own human desires

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.

This they know not - and that willingly: how that the heavens a great while ago were, and the earth that was in the water appeared up out of the water by the word of God:

[And] it was by water that the world, which existed at that time, perished in a great flood [of Noah's day]!

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.

Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your [notice], that one day with the Lord [is] like a thousand years, and a thousand years [is] like one day.

The Lord is not slow in fulfilling His promise, in the sense in which some men speak of slowness. But He bears patiently with you, His desire being that no one should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Now, since all these things are in the process of dissolution, think what you yourselves ought to be--what holy and pious lives you ought to lead,

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

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.

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.