³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.^(A) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.^(B)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets^(A) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.^(B) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord^(C) who bought them^(D)—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct^(E) and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed^(F) these teachers will exploit you^(G) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.^{(A) 2} People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,^(B) boastful, proud,^(C) abusive,^(D) disobedient to their parents,^(E) ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous,^(F) rash, conceited,^(G) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness^(H) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.^(I)

⁶ They are the kind who worm their way^(J) into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,

4 The Spirit^(A) clearly says that in later times^(B) some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits^(C) and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.^{(D) 3} They forbid people to marry^(E) and order them to abstain from certain foods,^(F) which God created^(G) to be received with thanksgiving^(H) by those who believe and who know the truth.

¹⁶ Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?^(A)