II Peter 2

¹But also false prophetis weren in the puple, as in you schulen be maistris lieris, that schulen bringe in sectis of perdicioun; and thei denyen thilke Lord that bouyte hem, and bringen on hem silf hasti perdicioun.

²And many schulen sue her letcheries, bi whiche the weie of treuthe schal be blasfemyd;

³and thei schulen make marchaundie of you in coueytise bi feyned wordis. To whiche doom now a while ago ceessith not, and the perdicioun of hem nappith not.

⁴For if God sparide not aungels synnynge, but bitook hem to be turmentid, and to be drawun doun with boondis of helle in to helle, to be kept in to dom;

⁵and sparide not the firste world, but kept Noe, the eiythe man, the biforgoere of riytwisnesse, and brouyte in the greet flood to the world of vnfeithful men;

⁶and he droof in to poudre the citees of men of Sodom and of men of Gommor, and dampnede bi turnyng vpsedoun, and putte hem the ensaumple of hem that weren to doynge yuele;

⁷and delyuerid the iust Loth, oppressid of the wrong, and of the letcherouse conuersacioun of cursid men;

⁸for in siyt and hering he was iust, and dwellide amongst hem that fro dai in to dai turmentiden with wickid werkis a iust soule.

⁹For the Lord kan delyuere piteuouse men fro temptacioun, and kepe wickid men `in to the dai of dom to be turmentid;

¹⁰but more hem that walken aftir the fleisch, in coueytinge of vnclennesse, and dispisen lordschiping, and ben boold, plesynge hem silf, and dreden not to bringe in sectis, blasfemynge; where aungels,

¹¹whanne thei ben more in strengthe and vertu, beren not `that was the execrable doom ayens hem.

¹²But these ben as vnresonable beestis, kyndli in to takyng, and in to deth, blasfemynge in these thingis that thei knowen not, and schulen perische in her corrupcioun,

¹³and resseyue the hire of vnriytwisnesse. And thei gessen delicis of defouling and of wemme, to be likyngis of dai, flowynge in her feestis with delicis, doynge letcherie with you,

¹⁴and han iyen ful of auowtrie, and vnceessynge trespas, disseyuynge vnstidfast soulis, and han the herte excercisid to coueitise; the sones of cursyng,

¹⁵that forsaken the riyt weie, and erriden, suynge the weie of Balaam of Bosor, which louyde the hire of wickidnesse.

¹⁶But he hadde repreuyng of his woodnesse; a doumb beest vndur yok, that spak with vois of man, that forbede the vnwisdom of the profete.

¹⁷These ben wellis with out watir, and mystis dryuun with `whirlinge wyndys, to whiche the thicke mijst of derknessis is reseruyd.

¹⁸And thei speken in pryde of vanyte, and disseyuen in desiris of fleisch of letcherie hem, that scapen a litil.

¹⁹Whiche lyuen in errour, and biheten fredom to hem, whanne thei ben seruauntis of corrupcioun. For of whom ony man is ouercomun, of hym also he is seruaunt.

²⁰For if men forsaken the vnclennessis of the world, bi the knowyng of oure Lord and sauyour Jhesu Crist, and eftsone ben wlappid in these, and ben ouercomun, the lattere thingis ben maad to hem worse than the formere.

²¹For it was betere to hem to not knowe the weie of riytwisnesse, than to turne ayen aftir the knowyng, fro that hooli maundement that was bitakun to hem.

²²For thilke very prouerb bifelde to hem, The hound turnede ayen to his castyng, and a sowe is waischun in walwyng in fenne.

II Peter 2

¹But 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.

²And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

³And 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.

⁴For 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;

⁵And 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;

⁶And 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;

⁷And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

⁸(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

⁹The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

¹⁰But 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.

¹¹Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

¹²But 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;

¹³And 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;

¹⁴Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

¹⁵Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

¹⁶But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

¹⁷These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

¹⁸For 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.

¹⁹While 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.

²⁰For 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.

²¹For 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.

²²But 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.