1 A nd 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,

But 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;

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

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

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

And 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.

4 F or 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,

For 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;

5 a nd 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,

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

6 a nd 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;

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

7 a nd righteous Lot, worn down by the conduct in lasciviousness of the impious, He did rescue,

and saved righteous Lot, distressed with the abandoned conversation of the godless,

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

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

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

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

10 a nd 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,

and 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:

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

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

12 a nd 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,

But 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,

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

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

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

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

15 h aving 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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

19 l iberty 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,

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

20 f or, 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,

For 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.

21 f or 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,

For 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.

22 a nd 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.'

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