2 Peter 2 - Douy-Rheims Bible Challoner Revision

¹ 0 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.

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

³ 2 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,

⁴ 3 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:

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

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

⁷ 6 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.

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

⁹ 8 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:

¹⁰ 9 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.

¹¹ 0 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.

¹² 1 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.

¹³ 2 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.

¹⁴ Behold this second epistle I write to you, my dearly beloved, in which I stir up by way of admonition your sincere mind:

¹⁵ That you may be mindful of those words which I told you before from the holy prophets, and of your apostles, of the precepts of the Lord and Saviour.

¹⁶ Knowing this first, that in the last days there shall come deceitful scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

¹⁷ Saying: Where is his promise or his coming? for since the time that the fathers slept, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

¹⁸ For this they are wilfully ignorant of, that the heavens were before, and the earth out of water, and through water, consisting by the word of God.

¹⁹ Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.

²⁰ 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 the ungodly men.

²¹ But of this one thing be not ignorant, my beloved, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

²² The Lord delayeth not his promise, as some imagine, but dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance.