2 Peter

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:

1This letter is from Simon Peter. He serves Jesus Christ and was sent out by him. He writes to people who trust Jesus, just like Peter does. They received this trust because Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, does what is right.

2Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

2I pray that God will give you more and more kindness and peace. This comes as you get to know God and Jesus our Lord.

3According 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:

3God is very powerful. He has given us everything we need to live and to please him. We get this by knowing God, who called us to share his own glory and goodness.

4Whereby 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.

4Because of this, God made us big and wonderful promises. Through these promises, you can share in what God is like. You have escaped the harm in this world that comes from wanting wrong things.

5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

5So try your very hardest. Along with trusting God, learn to do what is good. And along with doing good, learn to understand things.

6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

6Along with understanding, learn to control yourself. Along with self-control, learn to keep going when things are hard. And along with that, learn to please God.

7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

7Along with pleasing God, be kind to other believers. And along with that kindness, love people.

8For 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.

8If you have these things, and you keep growing in them, your life will not be empty. You will do real good as you get to know our Lord Jesus Christ.

9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

9But some people do not have these things. They cannot see what matters, like someone who only sees what is close. They have forgotten that God washed away their old sins.

10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

10So, my friends, work hard to be sure you really belong to God. He called you and chose you. If you keep doing these things, you will not trip and fall.

11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

11Then you will be welcomed in with joy. You will enter the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, which lasts forever.

12Wherefore 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.

12So I will keep reminding you about these things. I know you already know them. I know you are standing firm in the truth you have.

13Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

13I think this is the right thing to do. As long as I am alive in this body, I will wake up your memory.

NoteThe KJV says "tabernacle," which means a tent. Peter is calling his body a tent he lives in for a while.

14Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

14I know I will soon leave this body behind. Our Lord Jesus Christ showed me that this will happen.

15Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

15So I will do all I can to help you. Then after I die, you will still remember these things.

16For 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.

16We did not tell you clever made-up stories. We told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, and about his coming. We saw his greatness with our own eyes.

17For 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.

17Jesus was given honor and glory by God the Father. A voice came to him from the shining glory of God. It said, "This is my Son, whom I love. I am very pleased with him."

18And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

18We heard that voice ourselves. It came from heaven while we were with Jesus on the holy mountain.

19We 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:

19We also have the words the prophets spoke, and they are certain. You do well to listen to them. They are like a lamp shining in a dark place. Keep listening until morning comes and the morning star rises in your hearts.

NoteThe "day star" is the bright star seen just before sunrise, what we call the morning star.

20Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

20First of all, understand this. No message from a prophet in the Bible came from a person's own ideas.

21For 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.

21No message from a prophet ever came because a person wanted to say it. Instead, people spoke words from God. The Holy Spirit carried them along as they spoke.