A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ “Beware of the ^(A)false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ^(B)ravenous wolves.

¹¹ And many ^(A)false prophets will rise up and ^[a]mislead many people.

²⁴ For false christs and ^(A)false prophets will arise and will provide great ^[a](B)signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even ^(C)the ^[b]elect.

²² for false christs and ^(A)false prophets will arise, and will provide ^(B)signs and ^(C)wonders, in order to mislead, if possible, the elect.

²⁶ Woe to you when all the people speak well of you; for their fathers used to ^[a]treat the ^(A)false prophets the same way.

²⁸ Be on guard for yourselves and for all ^(A)the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you ^[a]overseers, to shepherd ^(B)the church of God which ^(C)He ^[b]purchased ^[c]with His own blood. ²⁹ I know that after my departure ^(D)savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing ^(E)the flock; ³⁰ and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away ^(F)the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore, be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of ^(G)three years I did not cease to admonish each one ^(H)with tears. ³² And now I ^(I)entrust you to God and to ^(J)the word of His grace, which is able to ^(K)build you up and to give you ^(L)the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

The Appearance of False Prophets

2 But ^(A)false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be ^(B)false teachers ^(C)among you, who will ^(D)secretly introduce ^(E)destructive heresies, even ^(F)denying the ^(G)Master who ^(H)bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

Testing the Spirits

4 ^(A)Beloved, do not believe every ^(B)spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because ^(C)many false prophets have gone out into the world.