But ^afalse prophets also appeared 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. 2 Many will follow their ^aindecent behavior, and because of them ^bthe way of the truth will be ^cmaligned; 3 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.

4 For ^aif God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into ¹hell and ^bcommitted them to ²pits of darkness, held for judgment; 5 and did not spare ^athe ancient world, but protected ^bNoah, a ¹preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a ^cflood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 and if He ^acondemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an ^bexample ¹of what is coming for the ^cungodly; 7 and if He ^arescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the ^bperverted conduct of ^1cunscrupulous people 8 (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), 9 ^athen the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from ¹a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the ^bday of judgment, 10 and especially those who ^1aindulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and ^bdespise ²authority.

³Reckless, ^cself-centered, they ^dspeak abusively of angelic ⁴majesties without trembling, 11 ^awhereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But ^athese, like unreasoning animals, ^bborn as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in ¹the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13 suffering wrong as ^athe wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to ^brevel in the ^cdaytime. They are stains and blemishes, ^dreveling in their ¹deceptions as they ^efeast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery ¹that never cease from sin, ^aenticing ^bunstable souls, having hearts trained in ^cgreed, ^daccursed children; 15 abandoning ^athe right way, they have gone astray, having followed ^bthe way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^cthe ¹reward of unrighteousness; 16 but he received a rebuke for his own offense, ^afor a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.

17 These are ^asprings without water and mists driven by a storm, ^bfor whom the ¹black darkness has been reserved. 18 For, while speaking out ^aarrogant words of no ^bvalue they ^centice by fleshly desires, by ^dindecent behavior, those who barely ^eescape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^aby what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 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. 21 ^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. 22 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.”

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. 2 Many will follow their ^asensuality, and because of them ^bthe way of the truth will be ^cmaligned; 3 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.

4 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; 5 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; 6 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; 7 and if He ^arescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the ^bsensual conduct of ^cunprincipled men 8 (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), 9 ^athen the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from ¹temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the ^bday of judgment, 10 and especially those who ^1aindulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and ^bdespise authority.

Daring, ^cself-willed, they do not tremble when they ^drevile angelic ²majesties, 11 ^awhereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 12 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, 13 suffering wrong as ^athe wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to ^brevel in the ^cdaytime. They are stains and blemishes, ^dreveling in their ¹deceptions, as they ^ecarouse with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, ^aenticing ^bunstable souls, having a heart trained in ^cgreed, ^daccursed children; 15 forsaking ^athe right way, they have gone astray, having followed ^bthe way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^cthe wages of unrighteousness; 16 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.

17 These are ^asprings without water and mists driven by a storm, ^bfor whom the ¹black darkness has been reserved. 18 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, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^aby what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 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. 21 ^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. 22 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.”

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. 2 And many will follow their ^asensuality, and because of them ^bthe way of the truth will be ^cmaligned. 3 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.

4 For ^aif God did not spare angels who sinned, but cast them into the ¹pit and ^bdelivered them to chains of darkness, being kept for judgment; 5 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; 6 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; 7 and if He ^arescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the ^bsensual conduct of ^cunprincipled men 8 (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), 9 ^athen the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from ¹trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the ^bday of judgment, 10 and especially those who ^ago after the flesh in its corrupt lust and ^bdespise authority.

Daring, ^cself-willed, they do not tremble when they ^dblaspheme ¹glorious ones, 11 ^awhereas angels who are greater in strength and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But ^athese, like unreasoning animals, ^bborn as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, blaspheming where they have no knowledge, will in ¹the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13 suffering unrighteousness as ^athe wages of their unrighteousness, considering it a pleasure to ^brevel in the ^cdaytime—they are stains and blemishes, ^dreveling in their ¹deceptions, as they ^efeast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and unceasing sin, ^aenticing ^bunstable souls, having a heart trained in ^cgreed—they are ^daccursed children. 15 Forsaking ^athe right way, they have gone astray, having followed ^bthe way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^cthe wages of unrighteousness, 16 but he received a rebuke for his own lawlessness, ^afor a mute donkey, speaking out with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 These are ^asprings without water and mists driven by a storm, ^bfor whom the ¹black darkness has been kept. 18 For speaking out ^aarrogant words of ^bvanity, they ^centice by ^dsensual lusts of the flesh, those who barely ^eescape from the ones who conducted themselves in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^aby what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if they are overcome, having both ^aescaped the defilements of the world by ^bthe knowledge of the ^cLord and Savior Jesus Christ and having again been ^dentangled in them, then ^ethe last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 ^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. 22 The ¹message of the true proverb has happened to them, “^aA DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”