2 Peter 2:1–10

THE JUDGMENT OF FALSE TEACHERS

2There were indeed false prophets^ac among the people, just as there will be false teachers^ad among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought^ae them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. ²Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them.^{af 3}They will exploit^ag you in their greed^ah with made-up stories. Their condemnation,^ai pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.

⁴For if God didn’t spare^aj the angels who sinned but cast them into hell^Aak and delivered them in chains^B of utter darkness to be kept for judgment;^{al 5}and if he didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah,^am a preacher of righteousness, and seven others,^Can when he brought the flood on the world of the ungodly; ⁶and if he reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah^a to ashes and condemned them to extinction,^D making them an example of what is coming to the ungodly;^{b 7}and if he rescued righteous Lot,^c distressed by the depraved behavior of the immoral ⁸(for as that righteous man lived among them day by day, his righteous soul was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard^d)—⁹then the Lord knows how to rescue^e the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,^{f 10}especially those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority.^g

Bold, arrogant people! They are not afraid to slander the glorious ones;