Destructive Doctrines

2 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be afalse teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction 1does not slumber.

Doom of False Teachers

4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to 2hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of bSodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and cdelivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, dtormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—9 then ethe Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially fthose who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. gThey are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of 3dignitaries, 11 whereas hangels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

Depravity of False Teachers

12 But these, ilike natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 jand will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure kto 4carouse in the daytime. lThey are spots and blemishes, 5carousing in their own deceptions while mthey feast with you, 14 having eyes full of 6adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. nThey have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of oBalaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 pThese are wells without water, 7clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness 8forever.

Deceptions of False Teachers

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who 9have actually escaped from those who live in error. 19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of 1corruption; qfor by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into 2bondage. 20 For if, after they rhave escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are sagain entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For tit would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: u“A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”