¹³ But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived.^(A)

False Asceticism

4 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later^[a] times some will renounce^[b] the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,^(A)

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

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

⁸ As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people, of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith, also oppose the truth.^(A)

⁶ And you know what is now restraining him, so that he may be revealed when his time comes. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is removed.^{(A) 8} And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus^[a] will destroy^[b] with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the manifestation of his coming.^{(B) 9} The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders,^{(C) 10} and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(D) 11} For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false,^(E)

⁹ If a prophet is deceived and speaks a word, 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.^{(A) 10} And they shall bear their punishment—the punishment of the inquirer and the punishment of the prophet shall be the same—

³ First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts^(A)

¹⁴ and by the signs that it is allowed to perform on behalf of the beast it deceives the inhabitants of earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that had been wounded by the sword^[a] and yet lived,^(A)