1 O tira i ara ake ano he poropiti teka i mua i roto i te iwi, he pera me nga kaiwhakaako teka e puta ake a mua i roto i a koutou; ma enei e mau puku mai nga titorehanga whakangaro, he whakakahore na ratou i te Ariki rawa, nana nei ratou i hoko, ka hohoro tonu ta ratou taki mai i te whakangaromanga ki a ratou ano.

¶ But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who covertly shall bring in destructive sects and shall deny the Lord that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

2 A he tokomaha e aru i a ratou tikanga whakarihariha; ma reira e korerotia kinotia ai te ara o te pono.

And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be blasphemed;

3 H e apo moni hoki e tito kupu ai ratou kia whai taonga ai ratou i a koutou: nonamata te tukunga mo ratou ki te he, e kore ano e whakaroa; kahore hoki he moe o to ratou whakangaromanga.

¶ and in covetousness they shall make merchandise of you with feigned words, upon whom the condemnation from a long time ago does not delay, and their perdition does not sleep.

4 M ehemea kihai i tohungia e te Atua nga anahera i hara, engari i peia ratou e ia ki te po, he mea herehere i te waro pouri, he mea tiaki mo te whakawa;

For if God did not forgive the angels that sinned, but cast them down into the deepest abyss and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

5 A kihai i tohungia te ao tawhito, he mea tiaki ia nana a Noa, te kaikauwhau i te tika, ratou ko etahi atu tokowhitu, i tana kawenga mai i te waipuke ki te ao o te hunga karakiakore;

and if he did not forgive the old world, but kept Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

6 A meinga ana nga pa, a Horoma, a Komora, kia pungarehu rawa, ko tana whakataunga he he hurihanga, waiho iho hei tohu ki te hunga e noho karakiakore i nga wa i muri;

and if he condemned by destruction the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, turning them into ashes, making them an example unto those that after should live without fear and reverence of God;

7 K o Rota ia, ko te tangata tika, whakaorangia ake e ia, i a ia e whakapouritia ana e nga ritenga whakarihariha a te hunga kino;

¶ and delivered just Lot, who was persecuted by those abominable people because of their nefarious conversation;

8 I taua tangata tika e noho ana i roto i a ratou, mamae a na tona ngakau tika i a ratou mahi kino, i tana i kite ai, i tana i rongo ai i tenei ra, i tenei ra:

(for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, afflicted his righteous soul from day to day with the deeds of those unjust people);

9 M atau tonu te Ariki ki te whakaora i te hunga karakia i roto i te whakamatautauranga, kia waiho ko te hunga he mo a te ra whakawa whiu ai;

the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished;

10 T era rawa ia tana mo te hunga e whai ana i ta te kikokiko, e haere ana i runga i te hiahia poke, e whakahawea ana ki te rangatiratanga; he hunga hikaka, e whai ana i ta ratou ake; kahore hoki e wehi ki te korero kino ki nga tangata nunui.

¶ and chiefly those that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise dominion; presumptuous, arrogant, they are not afraid to speak evil of the higher powers;

11 T ena ko nga anahera, ahakoa nui ake to ratou kaha, to ratou mana kahore e puaki i a ratou he kupu whakatoi mo era i te aroaro o te Atua ina whakawa.

whereas even the angels, who are greater in power and might, bring no curse of judgment against them before the Lord.

12 K o era hoki, rite tonu ratou ki te kararehe kahore nei he whakaaro, he mea maori anake, i hanga nei hei hopukanga, hei whakangaromanga, korero kino ana ratou ki nga mea kahore nei e mohiotia e ratou; a ka ngaro i runga i ta ratou tikanga whakama te;

But these, speaking evil of the things that they do not understand (as natural animals without reason, who are made to be taken and destroyed), shall utterly perish in their own corruption,

13 K a whiwhi ki te utu o te he; he tangata e ahuareka ana ki te kakai awatea, he ira ratou, he makenu, e ruku ana ki a ratou hakari ngahau i a ratou e hakari tahi ana me koutou;

receiving the reward of their unrighteousness, as those that count it pleasure to live luxuriously every day. These are spots and blemishes, who eat together with you, while at the same time they revel in their deceit,

14 K o o ratou kanohi ki tonu i te puremu, kahore hoki e mutu to ratou hara; e poaina ana e ratou nga hinengaro kahore i u: he ngakau to ratou kua oti te whakamahi ki te apo; he tamariki kua oti te kanga:

having their eyes full of adultery, and not knowing how to cease from sin, baiting unstable souls, having their heart exercised in covetous practices; cursed sons,

15 M ahue ake i a ratou te ara tika, kotiti ke ana ratou, whai tonu ana i te ara o Paraama tama a Peoro, i whakapai nei ki te utu o te he;

who forsaking the right way have erred, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness,

16 O tira i riria ano ia mo tona he: i korero te kararehe reokore, no te tangata te reo, pehia ana e ia te wairangi o te poropiti.

and was rebuked for his iniquity; a dumb animal accustomed to a yoke (upon which he was seated), speaking with man’s voice, hindered the madness of the prophet.

17 H e puna waikore enei tangata, he kapua e akina ana e te tupuhi; pouri kerekere te wahi kua rite mo ratou mo ake tonu atu.

These are wells without water, clouds that are brought by a whirlwind, to whom gross darkness is reserved for ever.

18 E korero ana i nga korero tetere rawa, he mea teka noa, ka poaina e ratou ki nga hiahia o te kikokiko, ki nga hiahia taikaha, te hunga e mawhiti mai ana i era e noho ra i roto i te he.

For speaking arrogant words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from those who converse in error,

19 H e herekore ta ratou e whakaari nei ki a ratou, heoi he pononga ratou na te pirau: ki te taea hoki te tangata e te hoariri, hei pononga ia mana.

promising them liberty, being they themselves the slaves of corruption: for he who is overcome by someone is subject to bondage by the one that overcame him.

20 K a mawhiti mai nei ratou i nga poke o te ao, i a ratou ka matau nei ki te Ariki, ara ki te Kaiwhakaora, ki a Ihu Karaiti, na ki te rorea ratou, i te hinga rawa i aua mea, kino noa atu to ratou whakamutunga i te timatanga.

Certainly, if having separated themselves from the contaminations of the world, by the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they again entangle themselves therein and are overcome, their latter end is made worse for them than the beginnings.

21 h e pai ke mo ratou me i kore e matau ki te ara o te tika, i te matau a hei muri ka tahuri ke atu i te ture tapu kua tukua nei ki a ratou.

For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

22 H eoi te tukunga iho ki a ratou rite tonu ki ta te whakatauki pono, Kua hoki te kuri ki tona ruaki; me te poaka i horoi ra, kua okeoke ano i te paru.

But it has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog returns unto his own vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.