1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10Therefore, my brothers and sisters,1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family. make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Prophecy of Scripture
12So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”1:17 Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35 18We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
1我是耶穌基督的奴僕和使徒西門·彼得，寫信給藉著我們的上帝和救主耶穌基督的義，與我們得到同樣寶貴信心的人。
2願你們因認識上帝和我們的主耶穌而飽得恩典和平安！
追求長進
3因為我們認識了用自己的榮耀和美德呼召我們的上帝，上帝以祂神聖的能力將生命與敬虔所需要的一切賜給了我們。 4藉此，祂已將既寶貴又偉大的應許賞給了我們，使我們脫離世上私慾帶來的敗壞，能夠有份於上帝的性情。
5正因如此，你們要加倍努力，不僅要有信心，還要有美德；不僅要有美德，還要有知識； 6不僅要有知識，還要有自制；不僅要有自制，還要有忍耐；不僅要有忍耐，還要有敬虔； 7不僅要有敬虔，還要有愛弟兄姊妹的心；不僅要有愛弟兄姊妹的心，還要有愛眾人的心。 8你們如果具備這些品質，並且不斷加強，就不會對我們主耶穌基督的認識停滯不前，毫無果效。 9缺乏上述品質的人則是目光短淺，甚至瞎眼，忘記他從前的罪已經得到潔淨。
10所以，弟兄姊妹，你們要更加努力，以確定自己蒙了呼召和揀選。你們這樣做，就絕不會失足犯罪， 11進入我們的主和救主耶穌基督永恆國度的大門必為你們敞開。
12雖然你們已經知道這些事，並且在已有的真道上也很篤定，但我還是要常常提醒你們。 13我覺得應當趁著我還在世的時候1·13 「還在世的時候」希臘文是「還在這帳篷裡的時候」，作者用帳篷指自己的身體。提醒你們，激勵你們， 14因我知道自己離世的日子已經不遠了，正如我們的主耶穌基督指示我的。 15我要盡力使你們在我離世以後仍然常常記得這些事。
見證基督的榮耀
16我們從前告訴你們有關主耶穌基督的大能和祂降臨的事，並非根據巧妙虛構的傳說，而是我們親眼見過祂的威榮。 17祂從父上帝那裡得到了尊貴和榮耀，那時從至大榮光中有聲音對祂說：「這是我的愛子，我喜悅祂。」1·17 馬太福音17·5；馬可福音9·7；路加福音9·35。 18當時我們和祂一同在聖山上，親耳聽見了這來自天上的聲音。
19這使我們更加確信先知的預言。你們要好好留意這些預言，把這些預言看作照耀在黑暗中的明燈，一直到天破曉、晨星在你們心中升起。 20你們首先該知道：聖經上的一切預言都不可隨人的私意解釋， 21因為預言絕非出於人的意思，都是人受了聖靈的感動，講出上帝的信息。
