1 Were but even false prophets among the people, as also among you will be false teachers, who will privately introduce heresies of destruction, even the having bought them sovereign Lord denying, bring on themselves swift destruction;
2 (and many will follow of them the impure practice, on account of whom the way of the truth will be evil spoken of;)
3 and by covetousness deceitful words you they will make gain of; to whom the judgment of old not lingers, and the destruction of them not slumbers.
4 If for the God messengers having sinned not spared, but with chains of think darkness having confined Tartarus he delivered up for a judgment being kept;
5 and of old a world not he spared, but eighth Noah of righteousness a herald he kept safe a deluge to a world of impious one having brought;
6 and cities of Sodom and Gomorrah having reduced to ashes to an overthrow he condemned, an example future to be impious having been placed;
7 and just Lot being wearied by the of the lawless ones in lewdness of behavior he rescued;
8 (in seeing for and in hearing the just one, dwelling among them, day by days soul righteousness with lawless deeds was tormented;)
9 knows Lord pious ones out of temptation to rescue, unjust ones but for a day of judgment being cut off to be kept;
10 especially but those after flesh in lust of pollution going, and lordship despising. Daring, selfwilled, of dignities not they are afraid speaking evil;
11 where messengers in strength and power greater being, not bring against them from Lord a railing judgment;
12 these but, like irrational animals, natural, having been made for capture and slaughter, in which things they do not understand reviling, in the corruption of them they will be destroyed,
13 receiving a reward of unrighteousness; a pleasure esteeming the in day luxury, spots and stains, revelling in the deceptions of themselves, feasting together with you,
14 eyes having full of an adulteress and unrestrained from sin, alluring souls unstable, a heart having been trained for covetousness having, of a curse children,
15 having left a straight way, they wandered, having followed in the way of the Balaam of the Bosor, who a reward of unrighteousness loved,
16 a reproof but he had of his own transgression; a beast of burden dumb, with of man a voice having spoken, restrained the of the prophet madness.
17 These are fountains without water, and fogs by a whirlwind being driven; for which the gloom of the darkness for an age has been kept.
18 Swellings for of folly speaking they allure by lusts of flesh, by impurities, those scarcely having fled away from those in error living;
19 freedom to them promising themselves slaves being of the corruption; by what for any one has been over come, by this also he has been enslaved.
20 If for having fled away from the pollution of the world by a knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Anointed, with these and again having been entangled they are overcome, has become to them the things last worse of the first.
21 Better for it was for them, not to have known the way of the righteousness, than having known to have turned back from the having been delivered to them holy commandment.
22 It has happened but to them the of the true proverb: A dog having turned back to the own vomit; and: A hog having been washed, to a rollingplace of mire.
1 There arose false prophets among the people. There will be false teachers among you! They will privately bring in destructive heresies contrary doctrines, denying even the Master who bought them. They bring swift destruction on themselves.
2 Many will follow their lascivious filthy sensual deeds. The way of the truth will be maligned.
3 They speak evil words about you because of their extreme greed. They will exploit you with false evil words. Their judgment from long ago is not idle. Their destruction will not delay.
4 God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to captivity in pits of darkness reserved for judgment!
5 He did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly!
6 He turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, and made them an example to those who are ungodly.
7 He delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked.
8 That righteous man that dwelled among them was tormented by the lawless deeds he saw and heard.
9 Jehovah knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to preserve the unrighteous for the Day of Judgment. (Psalm 34:19) (Matthew 25:46)
10 This is primarily for those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble at glorious ones but speak abusively.
11 Angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring an accusation of abusive judgment against them before Jehovah.
12 But these are creatures without reason. They were born mere animals to be taken and destroyed! They speak abusively in matters of which they are ignorant. They suffer destruction in their own course of destruction.
13 They suffer wrong as their reward for wrongdoing. They are men that count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you.
14 They have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease from sin! They entice unsteady persons. Their hearts are full of covetousness. They are children of cursing.
15 They went astray, forsaking the right way. They followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing.
16 He was rebuked for his own transgression. A beast of burden spoke with a man's voice and restrained hindered the madness of the prophet.
17 These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved.
18 For, uttering arrogant words of vanity, they entice in the desires lusts of the flesh, by sensuality lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from the ones who live in error.
19 They promise them freedom, while they are bondservants of corruption. A man is brought into bondage by one and enslaved by another.
20 After they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome; the last state is worse with them than the first.
21 For 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 to them.
22 It happened to them according to the true proverb: »The dog returns to his own vomit, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.«