1 غ َيْرَ أنَّهُ كانَ هُناكَ أنبِياءٌ كَذَبَةٌ بَيْنَ شَعبِ اللهِ! وَسَيَكُونُ بَيْنَكُمْ أيضاً مُعَلِّمُونَ كَذَبَةٌ، يَدُسُّونَ بَينَكُمْ عَقائِدَ هَدّامَةً. سَيُنكِرونَ الرَّبَّ الَّذِي اشتَراهُمْ، فَيَأتوا عَلَى أنفُسِهِمْ بِدَمارٍ سَريعٍ.

But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

2 س َيَتبَعُهُمْ كَثِيْرُونَ فِي طُرُقِهِمُ المُنحَلَّةِ. وَبِسَبَبِهِمْ سَيُساءُ إلَى طَرِيْقِ الحَقِّ.

And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.

3 ف َهُمْ سَيَستَغِلُّونَكُمْ بِتَعاليمِهِمُ الخادِعَةِ، وَسَيُتاجِرُونَ بِكُمْ فِي جَشَعِهِمْ. أمّا دَينونَتُهُمْ فَمُعَدَّةٌ مُنذُ القَدِيْمِ، وَدَمارُهُمْ فِي انتِظارِهِمْ.

And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.

4 ف َاللهُ لَمْ يَعفُ عَنِ المَلائِكَةِ الَّذِيْنَ أخطَأُوا، بَلْ أرسَلَهُمْ إلَى كُهُوفِ الظُّلْمَةِ فِي العالَمِ السُّفلِيِّ لِيُحجَزُوا حَتَّى مَوْعِدِ الدَّينُونَةِ.

For if God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 ل َمْ يَعفُ اللهُ عَنِ العالَمِ القَدِيْمِ، لَكِنَّهُ أنقَذَ نُوحَ الَّذي كانَ يَعِظُ مَنادِياً بِحَياةِ البِرِّ، وَأنقَذَ سَبعَةً آخَرِيْنَ مَعَهُ، عِندَما أرسَلَ الطُّوفانَ عَلَى عالَمِ الأشْرارِ.

and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 و َحَكَمَ عَلَى مَدِيْنَتَي سَدُّومَ وَعَمُّورَةَ بِالدَّمارِ فَحَوَّلَهُما إلَى رَمادٍ، وَجَعَلَ مِنْهُما عِبْرَةً لِلآثِمِيْنَ مُبَيِّناً ما سَيَحدُثُ لَهُمْ.

and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly;

7 و َأنقَذَ لُوطَ الرَّجُلَ البارَّ، الَّذيْ كانَ يَتَألَّمُ مِنْ سُلُوكِ الفاجِرِيْنَ المُنحَلِّ.

and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked

8 ك انَ ذَلِكَ البارُّ يَتَعَذَّبُ فِي قَلْبِهِ البارِّ مِنَ الأُمُورِ الَّتِي يَراها وَيَسْمَعُها، وَهُوَ يَعِيشُ بَينَهُمْ يَوماً بَعْدَ الآخَرِ.

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

9 و َهَكَذا يَعرِفُ الرَّبُّ كَيْفَ يُنقِذُ الَّذِيْنَ يَخدِمُونَهُ مِنَ التَّجارِبِ، وَكَيْفَ يُبقِي الأشرارَ حَتَّى يَومِ الدَّيْنُونَةِ لِلعِقابِ.

the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment;

10 و َلا سِيَّما الَّذِيْنَ يَتبَعُونَ طَبيعَتَهُمُ الجَسَدِيَّةِ وَشَهَواتِها النَّجِسَةِ، وَيَحتَقِرُونَ سُلطانَ الرَّبِّ. وَهُمْ وَقِحُونَ، مَغْرورونَ، وَلا يَتَهَيَّبونَ مِنْ إهانَةِ ذَوي الرُّتَبِ العاليَةِ!

but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities:

11 أ مّا المَلائِكَةُ، فَهُمْ أكثَرُ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَجَبَرُوتاً، إلّا أنَّهُمْ لا يَفتَرُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ لَدَى الرَّبِّ!

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

12 ل َكِنَّ هَؤُلاءِ الأشخاصَ أشبَهُ بِحَيواناتٍ غَيْرِ عاقِلَةٍ، تَسُوقُها الغَرائِزُ. وَهِيَ تُولَدُ لِلصَّيدِ وَالهَلاكِ. إنَّهُمْ يَهزَأُونَ بِأُمُورٍ يَجهَلُونَها. وَكَما تَهلِكُ الَحَيواناتُ، سَيَهلِكُونَ أيضاً.

But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed,

13 و َسَيَنالُونَ جَزاءَ ما ارتَكَبُوهُ مِنْ أذَىً. كَما إنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ مُتعَتَهُمْ فِي الانغِماسِ فِي اللَّذّاتِ حَتَّى فِي وَضَحِ النَّهارِ. وَهُمْ عارٌ وَخِزيٌ بَيْنَكُمْ. يَتَلَذَّذُونَ بِطُرُقِهِمُ المُخادِعَةِ بَيْنَما يَشتَرِكُونَ فِي وَلائِمكُمْ!

suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; men that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their deceivings while they feast with you;

14 ش َهوَةُ الزِّنا فِي عُيُونِهِمُ الَّتِي لا تَتَوَقَّفُ عَنِ الخَطِيَّةِ، وَيُغوُونَ الأشْخاصَ غَيْرَ الثّابِتِيْنَ. لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ مُدَرَّبَةٌ عَلَى الفِسقِ، وَهُمْ أولادُ اللعْنَةِ.

having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; enticing unstedfast souls; having a heart exercised in covetousness; children of cursing;

15 ت َرَكُوا طَريقَ البِرِّ، فَتاهُوا. تَبِعُوا طَرِيْقَ بَلْعامِ بْنِ بَصُورَ الَّذِي أحَبَّ الأُجرَةَ الَّتِي تَقاضاها مُقابِلَ اثْمِهِ.

forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;

16 ل َكِنَّهُ وُبِّخَ عَلَى إساءَتِهِ. فَقَدْ نَطَقَ حِمارٌ أعجَمُ بِصَوْتٍ بَشَرِيٍّ، فَمَنَعَ النَّبِيَّ مِنِ ارتِكابِ حَماقَتِهِ.

but he was rebuked for his own transgression: a dumb ass spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet.

17 ه َؤُلاءِ المُعَلِّمُونَ الزّائِفُونَ يَنابِيْعُ لا ماءَ فِيْها، وَغُيُومٌ تَدفَعُها العاصِفَةُ. وَقَدْ حُفِظَ لَهُمْ مَكانٌ فِي أعماقِ الظُّلْمَةِ.

These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved.

18 ي َفتَخِرُونَ افتِخاراً أجوَفَ، وَيَجُرُّونَ الآخَرينَ إلَىْ فَخِّ شَهَواتِ الطَّبيعَةِ الجَسَدِيَّةِ، لِيُغوُوا أُولَئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ بَدَأُوا لِلتَّوِّ بِالهَرَبِ مِنْ رِفاقِ السُّوءِ.

For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error;

19 ي َعِدُونَهُمْ بِالحُرِّيَّةِ، بَيْنَما هُمْ بِكامِلِهِمْ عَبِيْدٌ لِلفَسادِ. فَالإنسانُ مُستَعبَدٌ لِما يَسودُ عَليهِ.

promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage.

20 ه َرَبَ هَؤُلاءِ مِنْ أوساخِ العالَمِ بِمَعرِفَةِ رَبِّنا وَمُخَلِّصْنا يَسُوعَ المَسِيْحِ. لَكِنَّهُمْ إذْ عَلِقُوا فِي شِراكِها مَرَّةً أُخْرَى وَانغَلَبُوا، صارَتْ حالَتُهُمُ الأخِيْرَةُ أسوَأُ مِنَ الأُولَى.

For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first.

21 ف َكانَ أفضَلَ لَهُمْ لَوْ أنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَعرِفُوا طَريقَ البِرِّ، مِنْ أَنْ يَرتَدُّوا عَنِ التَعليمِ المُقَدَّسِ بَعْدَ أنْ عَرَفوهُ وَقَبِلوهُ.

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 unto them.

22 و َهَكَذا يَصدُقُ عَلَيْهِمُ المَثَلُ القائِلُ: «كَلْبٌ يَعُودُ إلَى قَيئِهِ.» وَمَثَلٌ آخَرُ يَقُولُ: «خِنزِيْرَةٌ مُغَسَّلَةٌ تَعُودُ إلَى التَّمَرُّغُ فِي الوَحلِ.»

It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.