1 B ut there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

And there did come also false prophets among the people, as also among you there shall be false teachers, who shall bring in besides destructive sects, and the Master who bought them denying, bringing to themselves quick destruction,

2 A nd many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

and many shall follow out their destructive ways, because of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of,

3 B y covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. Doom of False Teachers

and in covetousness, with moulded words, of you they shall make merchandise, whose judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction doth not slumber.

4 F or if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

For if God messengers who sinned did not spare, but with chains of thick gloom, having cast down to Tartarus, did deliver to judgment, having been reserved,

5 a nd 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;

and the old world did not spare, but the eighth person, Noah, of righteousness a preacher, did keep, a flood on the world of the impious having brought,

6 a nd turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah having turned to ashes, with an overthrow did condemn, an example to those about to be impious having set;

7 a nd delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked

and righteous Lot, worn down by the conduct in lasciviousness of the impious, He did rescue,

8 ( for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)—

for in seeing and hearing, the righteous man, dwelling among them, day by day the righteous soul with unlawful works was harassing.

9 t hen the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

The Lord hath known to rescue pious ones out of temptation, and unrighteous ones to a day of judgment, being punished, to keep,

10 a nd especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,

and chiefly those going behind the flesh in desire of uncleanness, and lordship despising; presumptuous, self-complacent, dignities they are not afraid to speak evil of,

11 w hereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord. Depravity of False Teachers

whereas messengers, in strength and power being greater, do not bear against them before the Lord an evil speaking judgment;

12 B ut these, like 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,

and these, as irrational natural beasts, made to be caught and destroyed -- in what things they are ignorant of, speaking evil -- in their destruction shall be destroyed,

13 a nd will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,

about to receive a reward of unrighteousness, pleasures counting the luxury in the day, spots and blemishes, luxuriating in their deceits, feasting with you,

14 h aving eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.

having eyes full of adultery, and unable to cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having an heart exercised in covetousnesses, children of a curse,

15 T hey have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

having forsaken a right way, they did go astray, having followed in the way of Balaam the of Bosor, who a reward of unrighteousness did love,

16 b ut he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

and had a rebuke of his own iniquity -- a dumb ass, in man's voice having spoken, did forbid the madness of the prophet.

17 T hese are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Deceptions of False Teachers

These are wells without water, and clouds by a tempest driven, to whom the thick gloom of the darkness to the age hath been kept;

18 F or when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.

for overswellings of vanity speaking, they do entice in desires of the flesh -- lasciviousnesses, those who had truly escaped from those conducting themselves in error,

19 W hile they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

liberty to them promising, themselves being servants of the corruption, for by whom any one hath been overcome, to this one also he hath been brought to servitude,

20 F or if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

for, if having escaped from the pollutions of the world, in the acknowledging of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and by these again being entangled, they have been overcome, become to them hath the last things worse than the first,

21 F or it 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.

for it were better to them not to have acknowledged the way of the righteousness, than having acknowledged, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them,

22 B ut it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

and happened to them hath that of the true similitude; `A dog did turn back upon his own vomit,' and, `A sow having bathed herself -- to rolling in mire.'