2 Peter 2:6-22

New American Standard Bible

⁶ and if He ^(A)condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an ^(B)example ^[a]of what is coming for the ^(C)ungodly; ⁷ and if He ^(D)rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the ^(E)perverted conduct of ^[b](F)unscrupulous people ⁸ (for by what he saw and heard that ^(G)righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), ^9 (H)then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from ^[c]a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the ^(I)day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who ^[d](J)indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and ^(K)despise ^[e]authority.

^[f]Reckless, ^(L)self-centered, they ^(M)speak abusively of angelic ^[g]majesties without trembling, ^11 (N)whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. ¹² But ^(O)these, like unreasoning animals, ^(P)born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in ^[h]the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, ¹³ suffering wrong as ^(Q)the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to ^(R)revel in the ^(S)daytime. They are stains and blemishes, ^(T)reveling in their ^[i]deceptions as they ^(U)feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery ^[j]that never cease from sin, ^(V)enticing ^(W)unstable souls, having hearts trained in ^(X)greed, ^(Y)accursed children; ¹⁵ abandoning ^(Z)the right way, they have gone astray, having followed ^(AA)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^(AB)the ^[k]reward of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he received a rebuke for his own offense, ^(AC)for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.

¹⁷ These are ^(AD)springs without water and mists driven by a storm, ^(AE)for whom the ^[l]black darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For, while speaking out ^(AF)arrogant words of no ^(AG)value they ^(AH)entice by fleshly desires, by ^(AI)indecent behavior, those who barely ^(AJ)escape from the ones who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^(AK)by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, after they have ^(AL)escaped the defilements of the world by ^(AM)the knowledge of the ^(AN)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again ^(AO)entangled in them and are overcome, ^(AP)the last state has become worse for them than the first. ^21 (AQ)For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from ^(AR)the holy commandment ^(AS)handed on to them. ^22 [m]It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “^(AT)A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”