1 But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. 2 Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. 3 In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.
4 For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment; 5 and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly, 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way, 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds), 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed, 13 receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you; 14 having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin, enticing unsettled souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing; 16 but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A speechless donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. 18 For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; 19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.
20 For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For 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. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, "The dog turns to his own vomit again," and "the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire."
1 从前在人民中， 曾有假先知出来； 照样， 将来在你们中间， 也必有假教师出现。他们偷偷把使人灭亡的异端引进来， 甚至否认那曾经买赎他们的主， 迅速地自取灭亡。
2 许多人会随从他们的淫行， 因此真理的道， 就因他们的缘故被人毁谤。
3 他们因为有贪心， 就用捏造的话， 想在你们身上图利； 惩罚他们的， 自古以来就没有松懈； 毁灭他们的， 也不会打盹。
4 神没有姑息犯罪的天使， 反而把他们丢入地狱， 囚禁在幽暗的坑里， 等候审判。
5 神也没有姑息上古的世界， 反而使洪水临到那不敬虔的世人， 只保存了传义道的挪亚一家八口。
6 神判定了所多玛、蛾摩拉二城的罪， 把它们倾覆， 烧成灰烬， 作为后世不敬虔的人的鉴戒；
7 只救了那因恶人的淫行而常受委屈的义人罗得；
8 （因为这义人住在他们中间， 天天看见和听见他们不法的事， 他正直的心就感到伤痛。）
9 主知道怎样搭救敬虔的人脱离试探， 又把不义的人留下来， 等候在审判的日子受刑罚，
10 尤其是那些随从肉体， 生活在污秽的私欲中， 和轻蔑当权的， 更是这样。他们胆大任性， 毫无畏惧地毁谤在尊位的。
11 就是天使， 虽有更大的力量与权能， 尚且不用毁谤的话在主面前控告他们。
12 但这些人， 好像没有理性的牲畜， 生下来就是给人捉去宰杀的； 他们毁谤自己所不知道的事， 必在自己的败坏中灭亡。
13 他们行不义， 就得了不义的工价。他们在白昼纵情作乐， 满了污点与瑕疵， 和你们一同吃饭的时候， 就因自己的诡诈而沾沾自喜。
14 他们满眼淫色， 而且不住地犯罪。他们引诱心志不坚固的人。他们的心习惯了贪婪， 是应当受咒诅的族类。
15 他们离弃正路， 走入歧途， 跟从了比珥的儿子巴兰的道路。这巴兰贪爱不义的工价，
16 他曾经因着自己的过犯受了责备： 不能说话的驴， 竟用人的声音说出话来， 制止了这先知的狂妄。
17 这些人是无水的泉源， 是暴风催逼的雾气， 有漆黑的幽暗为他们存留。
18 因为他们说虚妄夸大的话， 用肉体的私欲和邪荡的事， 引诱那些刚刚逃脱了错谬生活的人。
19 他们应许给人自由， 自己却作了败坏的奴仆； 因为人给谁制伏了， 就作谁的奴仆。
20 如果他们因为认识我们的主、救主耶稣基督， 可以脱离世上的污秽， 后来又在其中被缠住、受制伏， 他们末了的景况， 就比先前的更不好了。
21 既然认识了义路， 竟又背弃传给他们的圣诫命， 对他们来说， 倒不如不认识好得多了。
22 他们的情形， 正像俗语所说的： "狗转过来， 又吃自己所吐的； 猪洗净了， 又到污泥中去打滚。"