2 Peter 1
The full text of 2 Peter 1 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith as valuable as ours, through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world that is caused by evil desire.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
8 For if you have these qualities and they are increasing, they will keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But whoever lacks these things is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that they were cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your calling and election; for if you do these things, you will never stumble.
11 For in this way you will be richly supplied with entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.
13 I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by way of reminder,
14 since I know that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16 For we did not follow cleverly invented myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 And we have the prophetic word made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet's own interpretation.
21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Translation notes (8)
- 2 Peter 1:1a This can also be translated as "of our God and the Savior Jesus Christ." The Greek phrase (tou theou hēmōn kai sōtēros Iēsou Christou) uses a single article for both nouns, which in the "Granville Sharp" construction most naturally refers to one person: "our God and Savior, Jesus Christ." However, some interpret it as referring to two persons: God, and Jesus Christ our Savior.
- 2 Peter 1:4a This can also be translated as "become partakers of the divine nature" (theias koinōnoi physeōs). The phrase has been interpreted in widely different ways across traditions, including moral participation, covenant union, or (in Eastern Christianity) theōsis. The Greek text itself does not decide between these interpretations.
- 2 Peter 1:10a The Greek word adelphoi, meaning "brothers," here addresses the whole community and therefore includes both men and women.
- 2 Peter 1:13a Greek skēnōma, 'tent,' a metaphor for the body (cf. v.14); compare 2 Cor 5:1-4.
- 2 Peter 1:15a The Greek word exodos means 'departure,' a gentle way of referring to death; this same word is used for the Exodus and for Jesus' death in Luke 9:31.
- 2 Peter 1:19a The Greek word phōsphoros means 'light-bearer,' referring to the morning star (the planet Venus, which announces the dawn); this is an image of Christ or his coming.
- 2 Peter 1:20a This can also be translated 'is a matter of one's own interpretation.' The Greek phrase idias epilyseōs ou ginetai can refer either to the prophet creating the message himself or to the reader's private understanding of it.
- 2 Peter 1:21a The Greek words anthrōpou and anthrōpoi are generic terms for human beings; 'man' or 'men' here means people generally.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is Trinity Bible's own translation of Scripture, made directly from the original Greek rather than revised from an older English Bible. Completed in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation available, and it is exclusive to Trinity Bible. Reading the TBV here on the web is free — the full study edition, with original-language tools and notes on every verse, lives in the Trinity Bible app.
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