1 B ut there were false prophets also among the people, as there shall be also among you false teachers, who shall bring in by the bye destructive heresies, and deny the master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction;

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 a nd many shall follow their dissolute ways, through whom the way of the truth shall be blasphemed.

Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned.

3 A nd through covetousness, with well-turned words, will they make merchandise of you: for whom judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction slumbers not.

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 F or if God spared not angels who had sinned, but having cast them down to the deepest pit of gloom has delivered them to chains of darkness kept for judgment;

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 a nd spared not old world, but preserved Noe, eighth, a preacher of righteousness, having brought in flood upon world of ungodly;

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 a nd having reduced cities of Sodom and Gomorrha to ashes, condemned with an overthrow, setting an example to those that should live an ungodly life;

and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly;

7 a nd saved righteous Lot, distressed with the abandoned conversation of the godless,

and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked

8 ( for the righteous man through seeing and hearing, dwelling among them, tormented righteous soul day after day with lawless works,)

(for that righteous man dwelling among them, was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds):

9 L ord knows to deliver the godly out of trial, and to keep unjust to day of judgment punished;

the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment;

10 a nd specially those who walk after the flesh in lust of uncleanness, and despise lordship. Bold, self-willed; they do not fear speaking injuriously of dignities:

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 w hen angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring against them, before the Lord, an injurious charge.

whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord.

12 B ut these, as natural animals without reason, made to be caught and destroyed, speaking injuriously in things they are ignorant of, shall also perish in their own corruption,

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 r eceiving reward of unrighteousness; accounting ephemeral indulgence pleasure; spots and blemishes, rioting in their own deceits, feasting with you;

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 h aving eyes full of adultery, and that cease not from sin, alluring unestablished souls; having a heart practised in covetousness, children of curse;

having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;

15 h aving left straight way they have gone astray, having followed in the path of Balaam of Bosor, who loved reward of unrighteousness;

forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing;

16 b ut had reproof of his own wickedness— dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the folly of the prophet.

but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.

17 T hese are springs without water, and mists driven by storm, to whom the gloom of darkness is reserved.

These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.

18 F or speaking great highflown words of vanity, they allure with lusts of flesh, by dissoluteness, those who have just fled those who walk in error,

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 p romising them liberty, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a man is subdued, by him is he also brought into slavery.

promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.

20 F or if after having escaped the pollutions of the world through knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, again entangled, they are subdued by these, their last state is worse than the first.

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 F or it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

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 B ut that of the true proverb has happened to them: dog turned back to his own vomit; and, washed sow to rolling in mud.

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.”