Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Revised Standard NRS
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there shall be among you lying teachers who shall bring in sects of perdition and deny the Lord who bought them: bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
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But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 And many shall follow their riotousness, through whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
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Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. Whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not: and their perdition slumbereth not.
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And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but delivered them, drawn down by infernal ropes to the lower hell, unto torments, to be reserved unto judgment:
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For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgment;
5 And spared not the original world, but preserved Noe, the eighth person, the preacher of justice, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.
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and if he did not spare the ancient world, even though he saved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood on a world of the ungodly;
6 And reducing the cities of the Sodomites and of the Gomorrhites into ashes, condemned them to be overthrown, making them an example to those that should after act wickedly,
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and if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example of what is coming to the ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, oppressed by the injustice and lewd conversation of the wicked:
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and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the lawless
8 For in sight and hearing he was just, dwelling among them who from day to day vexed the just soul with unjust works.
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(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by their lawless deeds that he saw and heard),
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly from temptation, but to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be tormented:
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then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment
10 And especially them who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise government: audacious, self willed, they fear not to bring in sects, blaspheming.
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—especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones,
11 Whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, bring not against themselves a railing judgment.
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whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring against them a slanderous judgment from the Lord.
12 But these men, as irrational beasts, naturally tending to the snare and to destruction, blaspheming those things which they know not, shall perish in their corruption:
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These people, however, are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They slander what they do not understand, and when those creatures are destroyed, they also will be destroyed,
13 Receiving the reward of their injustice, counting for a pleasure the delights of a day: stains and spots, sporting themselves to excess, rioting in their feasts with you:
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suffering the penalty for doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their dissipation while they feast with you.
14 Having eyes full of adultery and of sin that ceaseth not: alluring unstable souls: having their heart exercised with covetousness: children of malediction.
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They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!
15 Leaving the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam of Bosor who loved the wages of iniquity,
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They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor, who loved the wages of doing wrong,
16 But had a check of his madness, the dumb beast used to the yoke, which, speaking with man’s voice, forbade the folly of the prophet.
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but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
17 These are fountains without water and clouds tossed with whirlwinds, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved.
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These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the deepest darkness has been reserved.
18 For, speaking proud words of vanity, they allure by the desires of fleshly riotousness those who for a little while escape, such as converse in error:
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For they speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error.
19 Promising them liberty, whereas they themselves are the slaves of corruption. For by whom a man is overcome, of the same also he is the slave.
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They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for people are slaves to whatever masters them.
20 For if, flying from the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they be again entangled in them and overcome: their latter state is become unto them worse than the former.
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For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than, after they have known it, to turn back from that holy commandment which was delivered to them.
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For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them.
22 For, that of the true proverb has happened to them: The dog is returned to his vomit; and: The sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
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It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "The dog turns back to its own vomit," and, "The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud."
The Douay-Rheims Bible is in the public domain.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.