21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.


In Context

18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.

19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity- -for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.

22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

2nd Peter 2:21 in Other Translations

The King James Version of the Holy Bible

2:21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it,] to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible

2:21For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

The Douay-Rheims Version of the Holy Bible

2:21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice, than after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them.

The Darby Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

2:21For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

The English Revised Version of the Holy Bible

2:21For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

The Webster Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

2:21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

The World English Bible Translation of the Holy Bible

2:21For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

The Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible

2:21for it were better to them not to have acknowledged the way of the righteousness, than having acknowledged it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them,

The American King James Version of the Holy Bible

2:21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.