Simon Peter,
a servant
and an apostle
of Jesus Christ,
to them
that have obtained like precious faith
with us
through the righteousness
of God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Grace
and peace
be multiplied
unto you
through the knowledge
of God,
and
of Jesus our Lord,
According
as his divine power
hath given
unto us all
things that
pertain
unto life
and godliness,
through the knowledge
of him that
hath called us
to glory
and virtue:
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.
And beside this,
giving all diligence,
add
to your faith virtue;
and
to virtue knowledge;
And
to knowledge temperance;
and
to temperance patience;
and
to patience godliness;
And
to godliness
brotherly kindness;
and
to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things
be in you,
and abound,
they make you
that ye
shall
neither be barren
nor unfruitful
in the knowledge
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he
that
lacketh
these things
is blind,
and
cannot see afar off,
and hath forgotten
that he
was purged
from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather,
brethren,
give diligence
to make your calling
and election sure:
for if
ye do
these things,
ye shall never fall:
For so
an entrance
shall be ministered
unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom
of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.
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.
Yea,
I think it meet,
as long
as I am in this tabernacle,
to stir you up
by putting you
in remembrance;
Knowing that shortly
I must put off
this my tabernacle,
even as
our Lord Jesus Christ
hath shewed me.
Moreover I
will endeavour that
ye may be able
after my decease
to have these things
always in remembrance.
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 he received
from God
the Father
honour and glory,
when there came
such a voice
to him
from the excellent glory,
This is my beloved Son,
in whom
I am well pleased.
And this voice
which came
from heaven
we heard,
when
we were with him
in the holy mount.
We have also
a more sure word
of prophecy;
whereunto
ye do well
that
ye take heed,
as unto a light
that shineth in a dark place,
until the day dawn,
and the day
star
arise
in your hearts:
Knowing this first,
that no prophecy
of the scripture
is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy
came not
in old time
by the will
of man:
but holy men
of God
spake as they
were moved
by the Holy Ghost.
But there were
false prophets
also among the people,
even as
there shall be
false teachers
among you,
who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies,
even denying
the Lord
that bought them,
and bring
upon themselves
swift destruction.
And many
shall follow
their pernicious ways;
by reason of
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 damnation
slumbereth not.
For if God
spared not
the angels
that sinned,
but cast
them down
to hell,
and delivered them
into chains
of darkness,
to be reserved
unto judgment;
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;
And turning
the cities
of Sodom
and Gomorrha
into ashes
condemned them
with an overthrow,
making them an ensample
unto those that
after should live ungodly;
And delivered just Lot,
vexed with the filthy conversation
of the wicked:
(For
that righteous man
dwelling among them,
in seeing
and hearing,
vexed his righteous soul
from day to day
with their unlawful deeds;)
The Lord
knoweth how
to deliver the godly
out of temptations,
and
to reserve the unjust
unto the day
of judgment
to be punished:
But chiefly
them that walk
after the flesh
in the lust
of uncleanness,
and despise
government.
Presumptuous are they,
selfwilled,
they are not afraid
to speak evil
of dignities.
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;
And shall receive
the reward
of unrighteousness,
as they
that count
it pleasure
to riot
in the day time.
Spots
they are
and blemishes,
sporting themselves
with their own
deceivings
while they
feast
with you;
Having
eyes
full of adultery,
and that
cannot cease
from sin;
beguiling unstable souls:
an heart
they have exercised
with covetous practices;
cursed children:
Which have forsaken
the right way,
and are gone
astray,
following the way
of Balaam
the son of Bosor,
who loved the wages
of unrighteousness;
But was rebuked
for his iniquity:
the dumb ass speaking
with man's voice
forbad the madness
of the prophet.
These are wells
without water,
clouds
that are carried
with a tempest;
to whom
the mist
of darkness
is reserved
for ever.
For when
they speak great swelling
words of vanity,
they allure
through the lusts
of the flesh,
through much wantonness,
those that
were
clean
escaped
from them
who live
in error.
While they
promise them
liberty,
they themselves
are the servants
of corruption:
for of
whom a man
is overcome,
of the same
is
he brought in bondage.
For if after they
have escaped the pollutions
of the world
through the knowledge
of the Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ,
they are again entangled
therein,
and overcome,
the latter end
is worse
with them than the beginning.
For it
had been
better
for them not
to have known the way
of righteousness,
than,
after they
have known it,
to turn
from the holy commandment
delivered unto them.
But it
is happened
unto them according to
the true proverb,
The dog
is turned
to his own
vomit again;
and the sow
that was washed
to her
wallowing
in the mire.
This second epistle,
beloved,
I now write
unto you;
in both which
I stir
up your pure minds
by way
of remembrance:
That ye
may be mindful
of the words
which were spoken before
by the holy prophets,
and
of the commandment
of us the apostles
of the Lord
and Saviour:
Knowing this first,
that there shall come in
the last days scoffers,
walking
after their own lusts,
And saying,
Where is the promise
of his coming?
for since
the fathers fell asleep,
all things
continue
as they
were from the beginning
of the creation.
For this
they willingly are ignorant of,
that by the word
of God the heavens
were of old,
and the earth
standing
out of the water
and in the water:
Whereby the world that
then was,
being overflowed
with water,
perished:
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.
But,
beloved,
be not ignorant
of this one thing,
that one day
is with the Lord
as a thousand years,
and a thousand years
as one day.
The Lord
is not slack concerning
his promise,
as some men
count slackness;
but is longsuffering
to us-ward,
not willing that any
should perish,
but that
all should come
to repentance.
But the day
of the Lord
will come
as a thief
in the night;
in the which
the heavens
shall pass
away
with a great noise,
and the elements
shall melt
with fervent heat,
the earth
also and the works
that are
therein shall be burned up.
Seeing
then
that all these things
shall be dissolved,
what manner
of persons ought
ye to be
in all holy conversation
and godliness,
Looking for
and hasting
unto the coming
of the day
of God,
wherein the heavens
being on fire
shall be dissolved,
and the elements
shall melt
with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we,
according to his promise,
look for new heavens
and a new earth,
wherein dwelleth
righteousness.
Wherefore,
beloved,
seeing that
ye look for
such things,
be diligent
that
ye may be found
of him
in peace,
without spot,
and blameless.
And account that
the longsuffering
of our Lord
is salvation;
even as
our beloved brother Paul
also according to
the wisdom given
unto him hath written
unto you;
As also in all his epistles,
speaking in them
of these things;
in which
are some things hard
to be understood,
which they
that are unlearned
and unstable wrest,
as they
do also
the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.
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.