But afalse prophets
also
arose
among
the people
, just
as there will also
be bfalse
teachers
camong
you, who
will dsecretly
introduce
edestructive
heresies
, even
fdenying
the gMaster
who hbought
them, bringing
swift
destruction
upon themselves
.
Many will follow
their asensuality
, and because
of them bthe way
of the truth
will be cmaligned
;
and in their agreed they will bexploit
you with cfalse
words
; dtheir judgment
from long
ago
is not idle
, and their destruction
is not asleep
.
For aif God
did not spare
angels
when they sinned
, but cast
them into hell
and bcommitted
them to pits
of darkness
, reserved
for judgment
;
and did not spare athe ancient
world
, but preserved
bNoah
, a 1preacher
of righteousness
, with seven
others
, when He brought
a cflood
upon the world
of the ungodly
;
and if He acondemned the cities
of Sodom
and Gomorrah
to destruction
by reducing
them to ashes
, having made
them an bexample
to those who would
clive
ungodly
lives thereafter
;
and if He arescued righteous
Lot
, oppressed
by the bsensual
conduct
of cunprincipled
men
(for by what he saw
and heard
that arighteous
man
, while living
among
them, felt
his righteous
soul
tormented
day
after
day
by their lawless
deeds
),
athen the Lord knows
how
to rescue
the godly
from 1temptation
, and to keep
the unrighteous
under punishment
for the bday
of judgment
,
and especially those
who 1 aindulge
the flesh
in its corrupt
desires
and bdespise
authority
.
Daring, cself-willed
, they do not tremble
when they brevile
angelic 2majesties
,
awhereas angels
who are greater
in might
and power
do not bring
a reviling
judgment
against
them before
the Lord
.
But athese, like
unreasoning
animals
, bborn
as creatures
of instinct
to be captured
and killed
, reviling
where
they have
no
knowledge
, will in 1the destruction
of those
creatures also
be destroyed
,
suffering wrong as athe wages
of doing
wrong
. They count
it a pleasure
to brevel
in the cdaytime
. They are stains
and blemishes
, breveling
in their 1deceptions
, as they dcarouse
with you,
having eyes
full
of adultery
that never
cease
from sin
, aenticing
bunstable
souls
, having
a heart
trained
in cgreed
, daccursed
children
;
forsaking athe right
way
, they have gone
astray
, having followed
bthe way
of Balaam
, the son of Beor
, who
loved
cthe wages
of unrighteousness
;
but he received a rebuke
for his own
transgression
, afor a mute
donkey
, speaking
with a voice
of a man
, restrained
the madness
of the prophet
.
These are asprings
without
water
and mists
driven
by a storm
, bfor whom
the 1black
darkness
has been reserved
.
For speaking out aarrogant
words of bvanity
they centice
by fleshly
desires
, by dsensuality
, those
who barely
eescape
from the ones who live
in error
,
promising them freedom
while they themselves
are slaves
of corruption
; for aby what
a man
is overcome
, by this
he is enslaved
.
For if, after they have aescaped
the defilements
of the world
by bthe knowledge
of the cLord
and Savior
Jesus
Christ
, they are again
dentangled
in them and are overcome
, ethe last
state has become
worse
for them than the first
.
aFor it would be better for them not to have known
the way
of righteousness
, than
having known
it, to turn
away
from bthe holy
commandment
chanded
on to them.
1It has happened to them according to the true
proverb
, " aA DOG
RETURNS
TO ITS OWN
VOMIT
," and, "A sow
, after washing
, returns to wallowing
in the mire
."