Through these things he has bestowed on us his precious and most magnificent promises, so that by means of what was promised you may become partakers of the divine nature, after escaping the worldly corruption that is produced by evil desire.

But concerning the one who lacks such things -- he is blind. That is to say, he is nearsighted, since he has forgotten about the cleansing of his past sins.

Above all, you do well if you recognize this: No prophecy of scripture ever comes about by the prophet's own imagination,

(for while he lived among them day after day, that righteous man was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)

-- if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials, and to reserve the unrighteous for punishment at the day of judgment,

yet was rebuked for his own transgression (a dumb donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the prophet's madness).

They are illustrations of this true proverb: "A dog returns to its own vomit," and "A sow, after washing herself, wallows in the mire."