1 Simon Peter, a slave and sent-off representative (or: emissary) of Jesus Christ, to (or: for) the folks obtaining by lot an equally valuable (precious; honorable) faith, conviction, trust and loyalty, along with us, within the midst of and in union with fair and equitable treatment, as well as with rightwised relationships (= covenant membership), which come from and characterize our God and Savior (Deliverer; Rescuer; Source of health and wholeness), Jesus Christ (or: Jesus, [the] Anointed One; = Jesus, [the] Messiah):
2 May grace and peace (or: favor and harmony [= shalom]) be multiplied (or: caused to increase) to you (or: by you; in you; for you) within full (or: accurate; complete; added) intimate and experiential knowledge and insight of God, even Jesus, our Lord (or: from God as well as from Jesus, Who is our Master; or: of God, and of our Owner, Jesus),
3 just as all those things [leading] toward life and reverence (standing in awe of goodness, with adoration; the well-being of devotion and virtuous conduct from ease, in true relation to God) [are] being now available for us from having been freely given to us (or: presented as a gift in us) from His divine power and ability through the full (accurate; complete; added) intimate and experiential knowledge of the One calling us to His own (or: by His own; for His own; in His own; [other MSS read: through]) glory and excellence in nobleness (i.e., virtues of: braveness, courage, good character, quality, self-restraint, magnificence, benevolence, reliability, moral valor).
4 through means of which things – the precious (valuable; honorable) and greatest effects of the promises – He has been freely given (or: has presented Himself as a gift) to us, to the end that through these , you folks would come to be (or: could come into existence being; should be born) people of common-being from a divine essence and nature (or: folks having a partnered share that is based upon a common existence from a divine born-instinct and native condition; or: fellow participants of a germination which is divine), while fleeing from the corruption (ruin; decay) within the dominant System (or: that is united with the secular realm; or: centered in the ordered world of society, religion, culture, economy and government; or: in the center of the aggregate of mankind), in the midst of passionate cravings (rushing emotions; lusts; violent over-desires;
5 Yet, also, this same (or: And yet for this very cause): while bringing into and alongside (i.e., making full use of) all diligent haste, you folks at once fully lead the chorus of (or: completely choreograph) the excellence and nobleness (virtues of braveness, courage, good character, quality, self-restraint, magnificence, benevolence, reliability, moral valor) [being inherent] within your faith and trust; along with the intimate, experiential knowledge [being] within the excellence and nobleness (virtues of braveness, courage, good character, quality, self-restraint, magnificence, benevolence, reliability, moral valor);
6 also the inner strength and self-restraint [which is inherent] within the intimate, experiential knowledge, as well as the persistent remaining under in humble support (or: steadfast, patient endurance) [being inherently] within the inner strength and self-restraint; and then the reverence (ease of virtuous conduct from true relation to God) [inherent] within the persistent remaining under in humble support (or: steadfast, patient endurance);
7 and further, the brotherly affection (fondness for the fellow believers) [resident] within the reverence (awe with goodness; well-being of devout, virtuous conduct in the ease of true relation to God); and then finally, the love (uniting acceptance) within the brotherly affection.
8 You see, these things are constantly subsisting (or: supportively sub-governing; humbly ruling; beginning from below) as a possession in you folks [or, with A and others: are continually existing alongside being present for you] and are repeatedly being more than enough (abounding) – neither [being] inactive (or: ineffective) nor unfruitful (or: unproductive). He is continually setting [these] down and causing [them] to stand in accord [in you] unto the accurate, additional (or: full), experiential and intimate knowledge of our Lord (or: Owner; Master), Jesus Christ.
9 You see, the person in whom these things are not continuously present exists being (or: is) blind, constantly closing his or her eyes, taking hold of forgetfulness of (or: receiving oblivion in regard to) the cleansing from his/her old sins (mistakes of the past; former failure; [other MSS: from the results and effects of his/her former sins and errors]).
10 Wherefore (or: Because of this), brothers (= [my] family), hasten to exert yourselves to a greater extent to constantly make firm (sure-footed and steadfast) your calling (or: invitation) and election (selection; act of choosing out); for you see, in repeatedly doing these things, you can by no means (would under no circumstances) stumble once (or: at any time).
11 For thus (in this way) the Path of entrance (or: the place and act of the Way unto) into the center or midst of the eonian reign (or: the Kingdom pertaining to and having the character and qualities of the Age; the for-the-ages sovereign influence and actions) of our Lord and Savior (or: Owner and Deliverer), Jesus Christ [= [the] Messiah], will continue being richly furnished and fully supplied for you (in you; to you).
12 Wherefore (or: For this cause) it will always continue being my intent to be constantly reminding you concerning these things – even though [you are] being folks having seen and thus knowing, and ones being set and firmly established within the truth and reality [that is] being continuously present (existing alongside) [with and in you].
13 But I am continuously considering it right, and in accord with the Way pointed out – as long as I continue existing within this tent-effect (or: tabernacle) – to keep on arousing and awakening you with a reminder,
14 having seen and now knowing that swift [in approach] is the laying aside (or: the putting off or away) of my tent-effect (or: tabernacle; = body), according as also our Lord, Jesus Christ, made clearly visible to me (or: makes [it] evident for and in me).
The Experience of the Transfiguration
15 But I will also continue earnestly hastening (or: quickly endeavoring) to always have you, after my departure (exodus; a road out; = death), to continually make mention (or: make the recollection) of these things.
16 For we did (or: do) not experientially or intimately make known to you the power and presence (or: ability and [the] being alongside; parousia) of our Lord, Jesus Christ, by following forth in (or: by) wisely made myths (or: in being made wise by myths or fables; or: with fables modified by wisdom; or: to cleverly crafted stories), but rather, [from] becoming (or: being made to be; being birthed) eyewitnesses (onlookers; spectators) of that One's magnificence (or: of that greatness):
17 for you see, from the side of (or: [standing] beside) Father God, [He was] receiving honor (value; preciousness) and glory (or: a reputation) from a Voice being carried to Him by the fitting greatness and majesty of glory and which came from the manifestation which called forth praise (or: = of a Sound or Shout being swept along under the magnificent grandeur of the Sh'khinah Presence) such as follows: "My Son, My Beloved One, is This One [other MSS: This One is existing being My Son, My Beloved One] into the midst of Whom I Myself placed delight [other MSS: within Whom I was well pleased, and find approval; in union with Whom I have good thoughts]."
18 And we ourselves, being together with Him within the set-apart (or: holy; sacred) mountain, heard this Voice being carried out of heaven (or: swept along from the midst of [the] atmosphere and sky).
19 And so, we continue having (or: constantly hold) the Idea which was spoken ahead of time in and as Light (or: the prior-enlightened Thought and Reason; or: the Prophetic Word) more confirmed (validated; established; certain), by which (or: in which) you folks continue doing beautifully (performing ideally; producing finely), while continuously holding toward (= playing close attention to) [it] as to a lamp continually shining within a parched place – until which [time or occasion] the Day may shine through and a light bearer [= a morning star] may rise within your hearts (or: constantly heeding, as to a lamp progressively making things appear in a dark, dingy or dirty place, until that the Day can dawn, and a light-bringer can arise in union with your core and innermost being),
20 constantly knowing this first, that every (or: all) previously enlightened information of Scripture [p72: prophecy and Scripture] is not coming to be unbound upon its own (or: is not being born of its own unloosing; or: is not becoming its own explaining; or: is not coming into existence upon one's own releasing),
21 for you see, previously enlightened information (or: prophecy) was (or: is) not at any time brought by (or: in; for) [the] will (intent; resolve; purpose) of a human, but rather being continuously carried by (or: swept along under [the influence of]) [the] set-apart Breath-effect (or: Holy Spirit), [some MSS add: set-apart; holy] people spoke (or: speak) from God.