Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you. They will bring in destructive, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction.
1
But there also arose false prophets among the people, as among you also there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
2 Even so, many will follow their immoral ways; and because of what they do, others will speak evil of the Way of truth.
2
Many will follow their destructive ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned.
3 In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made-up stories. For a long time now their Judge has been ready, and their Destroyer has been wide awake!
3
In covetousness will they exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn't linger, and their destruction will not slumber.
4 God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, where they are kept chained in darkness, waiting for the Day of Judgment.
4
For if God didn't spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved to judgment;
5 God did not spare the ancient world, but brought the flood on the world of godless people; the only ones he saved were Noah, who preached righteousness, and seven other people.
5
and didn't spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly;
6 God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them with fire, and made them an example of what will happen to the godless.
6
and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly;
7 He rescued Lot, a good man, who was distressed by the immoral conduct of lawless people.
7
and delivered righteous Lot, very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked
8 That good man lived among them, and day after day he suffered agony as he saw and heard their evil actions.
8
(for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, tormented his righteous soul from day to day with lawless deeds):
9 And so the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials and how to keep the wicked under punishment for the Day of Judgment,
9
the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment to the day of judgment;
10 especially those who follow their filthy bodily lusts and despise God's authority. These false teachers are bold and arrogant, and show no respect for the glorious beings above; instead, they insult them.
10
but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries;
11 Even the angels, who are so much stronger and mightier than these false teachers, do not accuse them with insults in the presence of the Lord.
11
whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don't bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord.
12 But these people act by instinct, like wild animals born to be captured and killed; they attack with insults anything they do not understand. They will be destroyed like wild animals,
12
But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed,
13 and they will be paid with suffering for the suffering they have caused. Pleasure for them is to do anything in broad daylight that will satisfy their bodily appetites; they are a shame and a disgrace as they join you in your meals, all the while enjoying their deceitful ways!
13
receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you;
14 They want to look for nothing but the chance to commit adultery; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. They are under God's curse!
14
having eyes full of adultery, and who can't cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;
15 They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong
15
forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrong-doing;
16 and was rebuked for his sin. His donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet's insane action.
16
but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with man's voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.
17 These people are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness.
17
These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.
18 They make proud and stupid statements, and use immoral bodily lusts to trap those who are just beginning to escape from among people who live in error.
18
For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;
19 They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits - for we are slaves of anything that has conquered us.
19
promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for by whom a man is overcome, by the same is he also brought into bondage.
20 If people have escaped from the corrupting forces of the world through their knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then are again caught and conquered by them, such people are in worse condition at the end than they were at the beginning.
20
For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state has become worse with them than the first.
21 It would have been much better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command that was given them.
21
For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
22 What happened to them shows that the proverbs are true: "A dog goes back to what it has vomited" and "A pig that has been washed goes back to roll in the mud."
22
But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, "The dog turns to his own vomit again," and "the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire."
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.