1[a]SimonPeter, a 1bond-servant and 2apostle of JesusChrist, To those who have received3a faith of the same[b]kind as ours, [c]by 4the righteousness of 5our God and Savior, JesusChrist:
2
6Grace and peace be multiplied to you in 7the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3
seeing that His 8divinepower has granted to us everythingpertaining to life and godliness, through the true9knowledge of Him who 10called us [d]by His ownglory and [e]excellence.
4
[f]For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent11promises, so that by them you may become12partakers of the divinenature, having 13escaped the 14corruption that is in 15the world by lust.
5
Now for thisvery reason also, applyingalldiligence, in your faith16supply17moral[g]excellence, and in your moralexcellence, 18knowledge,
6
and in your knowledge, 19self-control, and in your self-control, 20perseverance, and in your perseverance, 21godliness,
7
and in your godliness, 22brotherlykindness, and in your brotherlykindness, love.
8
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neitheruselessnor23unfruitful in the true24knowledge of our LordJesusChrist.
9
For he wholacksthese qualities is 25blind or short-sighted, having forgotten* his 26purification from his formersins.
10
Therefore, brethren, be all the morediligent to makecertain about His 27calling and 28choosing you; for as long as you practicethesethings, you will never**29stumble;
11
for in thisway the entrance into 30the eternalkingdom of our 31Lord and SaviorJesusChrist will be 32abundantly33supplied to you.
12
Therefore, 34I will always be ready to remind you of thesethings, eventhough you already know them, and have been established in 35the truth which is present with you.
13
I consider it 36right, as long as I am in 37this earthly dwelling, to 38stir you up by way of reminder,
14
knowing that 39the layingaside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, 40as also our LordJesusChrist has madeclear to me.
15
And I will also be diligent that at anytimeafter my 41departure you will be able to callthesethings to mind.
Eyewitnesses
16 For we did not followcleverlydevised42tales when we madeknown to you the 43power and coming of our LordJesusChrist, but we were 44eyewitnesses of His majesty.
17
For when He receivedhonor and glory from God the Father, such an [h]45utterance as this was [i]made to Him by the 46MajesticGlory, "This is My belovedSon with whom I amwell-pleased "-
18
and we ourselvesheardthis[j]utterancemade from heaven when we were with Him on the 47holymountain.
19
[k]So we have48the propheticword made more49sure, to which you dowell to payattention as to 50a lampshining in a darkplace, until the 51daydawns and the 52morningstararises53in your hearts.
20
But 54knowthisfirst of all, that 55no*prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one'sowninterpretation,
21
for 56noprophecy was evermade by an act of humanwill, but men57moved by the HolySpiritspoke from God.