1 S imon 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:

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle (special messenger) of Jesus Christ, to those who have received (obtained an equal privilege of) like precious faith with ourselves in and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

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

May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in '> precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

3 a ccording 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:

For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that to life and godliness, through the '> full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

4 w hereby 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.

By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

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

For this very reason, adding your diligence, employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in virtue knowledge (intelligence),

6 a nd to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And in knowledge self-control, and in self-control steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in steadfastness godliness (piety),

7 a nd to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

And in godliness brotherly affection, and in brotherly affection Christian love.

8 F or 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.

For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep from being idle or unfruitful unto the '> full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

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

For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, '> spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious that he was cleansed from his old sins.

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

Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall.

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

Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 W herefore 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.

So I intend always to remind you about these things, although indeed you know them and are firm in the truth that now.

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

I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle (tent, body), to stir you up by way of remembrance,

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

Since I know that the laying aside of this body of mine will come speedily, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

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

Moreover, I will diligently endeavor that after my departure (decease) you may be able at all times to call these things to mind.

16 F or 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.

For we were not following cleverly devised stories when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty (grandeur, authority of sovereign power).

17 F or 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.

For when He was invested with honor and glory from God the Father and a voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory, This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased and delight,

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

We heard this voice borne out of heaven, for we were together with Him on the holy mountain.

19 W e 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:

And we have the prophetic word firmer still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through and the Morning Star rises ( comes into being) in your hearts.

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

first understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving).

21 F or 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.

For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it, but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit.