For no (such) prophecy {was} ever brought forth by (the) will of man , but men spoke from God as they were carried along by (the) Holy Spirit.
Now there were also false prophets among the people , just as there will be false teachers among you. (They) will secretly introduce destructive heresies , even denying the Master who bought them — bringing swift destruction on themselves.
- Many will follow in their - depravity , (and) because of (them) the way of tRuth - will be defamed.
- In their greed , (these false teachers) will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them vvv remains in force , and their - destruction {does} not sleep.
For if - God {did} not spare (the) angels when they sinned , but cast (them) deep into hell , placing (them) in chains of darkness to be held for judgment ;
(if) vvv He did not spare (the) ancient world when He brought (the) flood (on its) ungodly (people) , but preserved Noah , a preacher of righteousness , among the eight ;
(if) He condemned (the) cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction , reducing (them) to ashes (as) an example of what is coming on the ungodly ;
and (if) He rescued Lot , a righteous (man) distressed by the vvv depraved conduct of the lawless
(for that righteous (man) , living among them day after day , was tormented (in his) righteous soul (by the) lawless deeds he saw and heard )—
( if all this is so, then the ) Lord knows how to rescue (the) godly from trials and to hold (the) unrighteous for punishment on (the) day of judgment.
( Such punishment is ) specially (reserved) for those who indulge ... (the) corrupt desires of (the) flesh and despise authority. Bold (and) self-willed , vvv they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.
Yet not even ... angels , (though) greater in strength and power , dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before (the) Lord.
- These (men) (are) like irrational animals , creatures of instinct , born - to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in (matters) they do not understand , (and like such creatures) ... ... ... , vvv they too will be destroyed.
The harm they will suffer (is the) wages of (their) wickedness. They consider it a pleasure - to carouse in broad daylight. (They are) blots and blemishes , reveling in their - deception as they feast with you.
(Their) eyes are full of adultery ; - their desire for sin is never satisfied ... ; they seduce (the) unstable .... (They are) accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
They have left (the) straight way and wandered off to follow the way - of Balaam - (son) of Beor , who loved (the) wages of wickedness.
But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey , ( otherwise ) without speech , that spoke with a man’s voice (and) restrained the prophet’s - madness.
These (men) are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest - darkness is reserved for them -.
- With lofty (but) empty words, they appeal (to the) sensual passions of (the) flesh (and) entice - those (who are) just escaping from (others) who live in error.
They promise them freedom , while they themselves are slaves - to depravity. For vvv vvv a man is a slave to whatever vvv has mastered him.
If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through (the) knowledge of (our) Lord and Savior Jesus Christ , only to be entangled (and) overcome by it again , their final (condition) is worse than - (it was) at first.
- It would have been better for them not to have known the way - of righteousness than to have known (it) and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them.
Of them the - proverbs are true : “ A dog returns to - (its) vomit ,” and , “ A sow that is washed (goes back) to (her) wallowing in (the) mud. ”