Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained an equally precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

For his power divine has granted to us everything needful for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue.

For the man who lacks these virtues is blind, short-sighted, forgetful of his cleansing from his old sins.

For he did receive honor and glory from God the Father, when there was borne such a voice to him from the Majestic Glory, This is my Son, my Beloved, in whom I delight;

But there were false prophets, too, among the people, just as among you also there will be false teachers. These will secretly bring in destructive sects, denying even the Master who bought them, and bringing swift ruin upon themselves.

Then there will be many who will follow their immorality, because of whom the Way of the Truth will be maligned.

if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and reduced them to ashes, thus holding them up as a warning to all who would live ungodly;

and he delivered righteous Lot who was worn out by the lascivious life of the wicked

then be sure that the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the wicked (who are even now enduring punishment) for the "Day of Judgment";

especially those who spend their lives following the flesh in the lust of defilement, and in despising all authority. Audacious and willful, they feel no awe in railing against dignities;

suffering wrong as the wage of wrong which they have done. These are men who count it pleasure to carouse in open daylight; they are spots and blemishes reveling in their deceit, even while they are feasting with you.

They have forsaken the right way; they have lost their way, and followed the road of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrong-doing.

For speaking great swelling words of vanity, they entangle, by their lasciviousness, in the lusts of the flesh, those who are just about to escape from the men that live in misconduct.

Know this first, that mockers will come in the last days, in their mockery, men who walk the way of their own lusts