¹³ while ^(A)evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and ^(B)being deceived.

Some Will Depart from the Faith

4 Now ^(A)the Spirit expressly says that ^(B)in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to ^(C)deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,

²⁰ For if, ^(A)after they have escaped the defilements of the world ^(B)through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, ^(C)the last state has become worse for them than the first.

³ For ^(A)we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.

⁸ Just as ^(A)Jannes and Jambres ^(B)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, ^(C)men corrupted in mind and ^(D)disqualified regarding the faith.

⁶ And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷ For ^(A)the mystery of lawlessness ^(B)is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ⁸ And then ^(C)the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus ^(D)will kill with ^(E)the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by ^(F)the appearance of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan ^(G)with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for ^(H)those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. ¹¹ Therefore ^(I)God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe ^(J)what is false,

⁹ And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, ^(A)I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. ¹⁰ And they shall bear their punishment^[a]—the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike—

³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come ^(A)in the last days with scoffing, ^(B)following their own sinful desires.