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.

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.

Wherefore rather, brethren, be earnest to have your calling and selection made firm: for doing these, ye should not once stumble:

Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

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

I will enforce, therefore, that on every side ye might have wherewith to stir up the remembrance of these things after my departing.

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.

For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”—

and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:

for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

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;

Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

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;

having eyes full of an adulteress, and unable to cease from sin; beguiling unestablished souls: having a heart which has been made fat with covetousness; children of the curse:

but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with a man's voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.

For with high-sounding false words, making use of the attraction of unclean desires of the flesh, they get into their power those newly made free from those who are living in error;

They promise them liberty, when they themselves are the slaves of depravity—for by whatever anyone is defeated and overcome, to that [person, thing, philosophy, or concept] he is continually enslaved.

for it had been better for them, not to have made any profession of the gospel, than after they have embraced it, to abandon the holy injunction, that was delivered to them.

But that word of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog has turned back to his own vomit; and, The washed sow to her rolling in mud.

To remember the fore-spoken declarations made by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour, by your apostles.

For of this they are willingly ignorant, that the heavens were of old, and the earth was made of water and by water by the word of God,

anticipating and hastening the coming of the day of God, by which the heavens, being made fiery hot, will be disintegrated, and the elements dissolve, being intensely hot?