The Second Epistle General of Peter

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 2 -

(Jude 1:3–16)

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there shall be among you lying teachers, who shall bring in sects of perdition, and deny the Lord who bought them: bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

And many shall follow their riotousnesses, through whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. Whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their perdition slumbereth not.

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment:

And spared not the original world, but preserved Noe, the eighth person, the preacher of justice, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.

And reducing the cities of the Sodomites, and of the Gomorrhites, into ashes, condemned them to be overthrown, making them an example to those that should after act wickedly.

And delivered just Lot, oppressed by the injustice and lewd conversation of the wicked.

For in sight and hearing he was just: dwelling among them, who from day to day vexed the just soul with unjust works.

The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly from temptation, but to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be tormented.

And especially them who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government, audacious, self willed, they fear not to bring in sects, blaspheming.

Whereas angels who are greater in strength and power, bring not against themselves a railing judgment.

But these men, as irrational beasts, naturally tending to the snare and to destruction, blaspheming those things which they know not, shall perish in their corruption,

Receiving the reward of their injustice, counting for a pleasure the delights of a day: stains and spots, sporting themselves to excess, rioting in their feasts with you:

Having eyes full of adultery and of sin that ceaseth not: alluring unstable souls, having their heart exercised with covetousness, children of malediction:

Leaving the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam of Bosor, who loved the wages of iniquity,

But had a check of his madness, the dumb beast used to the yoke, which speaking with man’s voice, forbade the folly of the prophet.

These are fountains without water, and clouds tossed with whirlwinds, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved.

For, speaking proud words of vanity, they allure by the desires of fleshly riotousness, those who for a little while escape, such as converse in error:

Promising them liberty, whereas they themselves are the slaves of corruption. For by whom a man is overcome, of the same also he is the slave.

For if, flying from the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they be again entangled in them and overcome: their latter state is become unto them worse than the former.

For it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them.

For, that of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog is returned to his vomit: and, The sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.

(Jude 1:3–16)

But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.

Many will follow their immoral(a) ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned.

In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.

For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus,(b) and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment;

and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly,

and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way,

and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked

(for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds),

then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,

but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,

whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord.

But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed,

receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you;

having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin, enticing unsettled souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children!

Forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing;

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

These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.

For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;

promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.

For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,”(c) and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.”

Footnotes

(a)2:2 TR reads “destructive” instead of “immoral”

(b)2:4 Tartarus is another name for Hell