False Prophets and Teachers
1 Sometimes false prophets spoke to the people of Israel. False teachers will also sneak in and speak harmful lies to you. But these teachers don't really belong to the Master who paid a great price for them, and they will quickly destroy themselves. 2 Many people will follow their evil ways and cause others to tell lies about the true way. 3 They will be greedy and cheat you with smooth talk. But long ago God decided to punish them, and God doesn't sleep.
4 God did not have pity on the angels that sinned. He had them tied up and thrown into the dark pits of hell until the time of judgment. 5 And during Noah's time, God did not have pity on the ungodly people of the world. He destroyed them with a flood, though he did save eight people, including Noah, who preached the truth.
6 God punished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and this is a warning to anyone else who wants to sin.
7-8 Lot lived right and was greatly troubled by the terrible way those wicked people were living. He was a good man, and day after day he suffered because of the evil things he saw and heard. So the Lord rescued him. 9 This shows that the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their sufferings and to punish evil people while they wait for the day of judgment.
10 The Lord is especially hard on people who disobey him and don't think of anything except their own filthy desires. They are reckless and proud and are not afraid of cursing the glorious beings in heaven. 11 Although angels are more powerful than these evil beings, even the angels don't dare to accuse them to the Lord.
12 These people are no better than senseless animals that live by their feelings and are born to be caught and killed. They speak evil of things they don't know anything about. But their own corrupt deeds will destroy them. 13 They have done evil, and they will be rewarded with evil.
They think it is fun to have wild parties during the day. They are immoral, and the meals they eat with you are spoiled by the shameful and selfish way they carry on. 14 All they think about is having sex with someone else's husband or wife. There is no end to their wicked deeds. They trick people who are easily fooled, and their minds are filled with greedy thoughts. But they are headed for trouble!
15 They have left the true road and have gone down the wrong path by following the example of the prophet Balaam. He was the son of Beor and loved what he got from being a crook. 16 But a donkey corrected him for this evil deed. It spoke to him with a human voice and made him stop his foolishness.
17 These people are like dried up water holes and clouds blown by a windstorm. The darkest part of hell is waiting for them. 18 They brag out loud about their stupid nonsense. And by being vulgar and crude, they trap people who have barely escaped from living the wrong kind of life. 19 They promise freedom to everyone. But they are merely slaves of filthy living, because people are slaves of whatever controls them.
20 When they learned about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they escaped from the filthy things of this world. But they are again caught up and controlled by these filthy things, and now they are in worse shape than they were at first. 21 They would have been better off if they had never known about the right way. Even after they knew what was right, they turned their backs on the holy commandments they were given. 22 What happened to them is just like the true saying,
“A dog will come back
to lick up its own vomit.
A pig that has been washed
will roll in the mud.”
1 Bvt there were false prophets also among the people, euen as there shalbe false teachers among you: which priuily shall bring in damnable heresies, euen denying the Lord, that hath bought them, and bring vpon themselues swift damnation. 2 And many shall follow their destructions, by whom the way of trueth shalbe euil spoken of, 3 And through couetousnes shall they with fained words make marchandise of you, whose condemnation long since resteth not, and their destruction slumbreth not. 4 For if God spared not the Angels that had sinned, but cast them downe into hell, and deliuered them into chaines of darkenes, to be kept vnto damnation: 5 Neither hath spared the olde worlde, but saued Noe the eight person a preacher of righteousnesse, and brought in the flood vpon the world of the vngodly, 6 And turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrhe into ashes, condemned them and ouerthrewe them, and made them an ensample vnto them that after should liue vngodly, 7 And deliuered iust Loth vexed with the vncleanly conuersation of the wicked: 8 (For he being righteous, and dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soule from day to day with their vnlawfull deedes.) 9 The Lord knoweth to deliuer the godly out of tentation, and to reserue the vniust vnto the day of iudgement vnder punishment. 10 And chiefly them that walke after the flesh, in the lust of vncleannesse, and despise gouernement, which are bolde, and stand in their owne conceite, and feare not to speake euill of them that are in dignitie. 11 Where as the Angels which are greater both in power and might, giue not railing iudgement against them before the Lord. 12 But these, as naturall brute beasts, led with sensualitie and made to be taken, and destroyed, speake euill of those things which they know not, and shall perish through their owne corruption, 13 And shall receiue the wages of vnrighteousnes, as they which count it pleasure dayly to liue deliciously. Spottes they are and blottes, deliting them selues in their deceiuings, in feasting with you, 14 Hauing eyes full of adulterie, and that can not cease to sinne, beguiling vnstable soules: they haue heartes exercised with couetousnesse, they are the children of curse: 15 Which forsaking the right way, haue gone astray, folowing the way of Balaam, the sonne of Bosor, which loued the wages of vnrighteousnes. 16 But he was rebuked for his iniquitie: for the dumme beast speaking with mans voyce, forbade the foolishnesse of the Prophet. 17 These are welles without water, and cloudes caried about with a tempest, to whome the blacke darkenes is reserued for euer. 18 For in speaking swelling wordes of vanitie, they beguile with wantonnesse through the lusts of the flesh them that were cleane escaped from them which are wrapped in errour, 19 Promising vnto them libertie, and are themselues the seruants of corruption: for of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome, euen vnto the same is he in bondage. 20 For if they, after they haue escaped from the filthinesse of the world, through the acknowledging of the Lord, and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ, are yet tangled againe therein, and ouercome, the latter ende is worse with them then the beginning. 21 For it had bene better for them, not to haue acknowledged the way of righteousnes, then after they haue acknowledged it, to turne from the holy commandement giuen vnto them. 22 But it is come vnto them, according to the true Prouerbe, The dogge is returned to his owne vomit: and, The sowe that was washed, to the wallowing in the myre.