1  But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master, the [One] having bought them, and bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

1  But there arose false prophets also among the people, as among you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

2  And many will follow after their debaucheries, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

2  And many shall follow their lascivious doings; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of.

2  Many will follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

3  And by covetousness they will exploit you with fabricated words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction will not sleep.

3  And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.

4  For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but rather confined [them] to Tartarus, and delivered [them ]into chains of darkness, reserved for judgment;

4  For God did not spare those Angels who sinned, but instead delivered them, as if dragged down by infernal ropes, into the torments of the underworld, to be reserved unto judgment.

5  and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, [the] eighth, a preacher of righteousness, when He brought a flood upon the ungodly world;

5  and spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;

5  And he did not spare the original world, but he preserved the eighth one, Noah, the herald of justice, bringing the flood upon the world of the impious.

6  and reducing the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, He condemned [them] to destruction, having made [them] an example who were to be ungodly,

6  and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, having made them an example unto those that should live ungodly;

6  And he reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes, condemning them to be overthrown, setting them as an example to anyone who might act impiously.

7  and He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the indecent conduct of lawless [men]

7  and delivered righteous Lot, sore distressed by the lascivious life of the wicked

7  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked

8  (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, tormented his righteous soul by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)-

8  For in seeing and in hearing, he was just, though he lived with those who, from day to day, crucified the just soul with works of iniquity.

8  For while that pious man dwelt among them, in seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds, his righteous soul was vexed from day to day.

9  [then] YHWH knows [how] to deliver the godly out of temptation and [how] to keep the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

9  Thus, the Lord knows how to rescue the pious from trials, and how to reserve the iniquitous for torments on the day of judgment;

10  and especially those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. [They are ]bold, self-willed, illustrious persons, they do not tremble at blaspheming,

10  but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities

10  even more so, those who walk after the flesh in unclean desires, and who despise proper authority. Boldly pleasing themselves, they do not dread to introduce divisions by blaspheming;

11  whereas angels, being greater in might and in power, do not bring a slanderous judgment against them before YHWH.

11  whereas the Angels, who are greater in strength and virtue, did not bring against themselves such a deplorable judgment.

11  Whereas angels who are greater in power and might do not bring upon themselves the condemnation of blasphemy.

12  But these, as unreasoning natural animals, having been born for capture and destruction, blaspheme at things which they are ignorant of, and shall be destroyed in their destruction,

12  Yet truly, these others, like irrational beasts, naturally fall into traps and into ruin by blaspheming whatever they do not understand, and so they shall perish in their corruption,

13  receiving the wages of unrighteousness, counting as a pleasure to revel in the daytime, [they are] spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions while they feast with you,

13  And shall receive the reward of iniquity as they consider it a delightful thing to revel in the daytime. Spots and blemishes have they who sport themselves with their own deceivings as they feast in idleness;

14  having eyes full of adultery and unable to cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart having been trained in greediness, they are accursed children.

14  And have eyes full of adultery, and of sin that does not cease: beguiling, unstable souls are they whose hearts are well versed in covetousness: accursed sons are they.

15  They have left behind the straight way and have gone astray, having followed after the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

15  forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the [son] of Beor, who loved the hire of wrong-doing;

15  Abandoning the straight path, they wandered astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of iniquity.

16  but he was rebuked for his own lawlessness: a dumb donkey speaking with the voice of a man restrained the madness of the prophet.

16  Yet truly, he had a correction of his madness: the mute animal under the yoke, which, by speaking with a human voice, forbid the folly of the prophet.

16  But who was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb ass, speaking with manÆs voice, halted the folly of the prophet.

17  These are waterless wells, clouds being driven by a storm, for whom the darkness of the netherworld has been reserved forever.

17  These ones are like fountains without water, and like clouds stirred up by whirlwinds. For them, the mist of darkness is reserved.

17  These men are springs without water, as clouds that are carried with a tempest; the mist of darkness is reserved to them forever.

18  For when they speak haughty [words] of emptiness, they entice through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, those who are escaping from those who are living in error,

18  For, speaking with the arrogance of vanity, they lure, by the desires of fleshly pleasures, those who are fleeing to some extent, who are being turned from error,

19  promising to them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom anyone has been defeated, by this [one] also he has been enslaved.

19  They, while they promise liberty, themselves are the slaves of corruption: for a man is overcome by whatever it is that enslaves him.

19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

20  For if having escaped from the corruptions of the world by the knowledge of YHWH and Savior Jesus Christ, yet by these, having become entangled they are defeated, the latter end has become worse for them than the first.

20  For if, after taking refuge from the defilements of the world in the understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they again become entangled and overcome by these things, then the latter state becomes worse than the former.

20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

21  For it was better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than knowing it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

21  Verily it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment that was delivered to them.

22  But it has happened to them [according to] the [saying] of the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit,"and, "A sow, having washed, [returns ] to her wallowing in the mire."

22  For the truth of the proverb has happened to them: The dog has returned to his own vomit, and the washed sow has returned to her wallowing in the mud.

22  It will come to pass with them according to the true proverb, The dog returns to his own vomit, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.