2 Timothy 3:13

13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

2 Timothy 3:13 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
English Standard Version (ESV)
13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.
The Message Bible (MSG)
13 Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They're as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse.
American Standard Version (ASV)
13 But evil men and impostors shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
13 But evil people and phony preachers will go from bad to worse as they mislead people and are themselves misled.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
13 Evil people and imposters will become worse, deceiving and being deceived.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
13 Evil people and pretenders will go from bad to worse. They will fool others, and others will fool them.

2 Timothy 3:13 Meaning and Commentary

2 Timothy 3:13

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse
By "evil men" are meant, not sinful men in common, as all are by nature and practice; nor only open profane sinners but rather wicked men under a form of godliness, as before; and who are full of wickedness and malice against truly godly persons, even as the devil himself, of whom the same word is used, when he is called the wicked one; and this is a reason why true professors of religion must expect persecution, seeing as there ever were, so there ever will be such sort of men, who will not grow better, but worse and worse. The word for "seducers", signifies sorcerers, enchanters, a sort of jugglers; and as the other, it well suits with the ecclesiastics of the church of Rome, who pretend to miracles, and do lying wonders, and by their sorceries deceive all nations, ( Revelation 18:23 ) and these "shall wax worse and worse"; in principle and in practice, in ungodliness, and in error, in wickedness and malice against the saints, and in the arts of deceiving; so the church of Rome is never to be expected to be better, but worse; at the time of the fall of Babylon she will be an habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird, ( Revelation 18:2 )

deceiving:
not God, but themselves and others even all nations, excepting the elect of God; which they do by their good words and fair speeches, and by their show of devotion and religion, and by their pretended miracles and lying wonders:

and deceived
by the old serpent, the devil, under whose power and influence they are, in whose snare they are taken, and by whom they are led captive, and will at last share the same fate with himself, and be cast into the same lake of fire and brimstone.

2 Timothy 3:13 In-Context

11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Cross References 2

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