^4 (A)traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

⁴ For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord ^[a]God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁹ These are ^[a]sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

^8 (A)Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and ^(B)speak evil of ^[a]dignitaries. ⁹ Yet Michael the archangel, in ^[b]contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ^(C)“The Lord rebuke you!”

⁶ not a ^[a]novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.

¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are ^(A)the enemies of the cross of Christ: ^19 (B)whose end is destruction, ^(C)whose god is their belly, and ^(D)whose glory is in their shame—^(E)who set their mind on earthly things.

¹⁰ and especially ^(A)those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. ^(B)They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of ^[a]dignitaries, ¹¹ whereas ^(C)angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

Depravity of False Teachers

¹² But these, ^(D)like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, ^13 (E)and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure ^(F)to ^[b]carouse in the daytime. ^(G)They are spots and blemishes, ^[c]carousing in their own deceptions while ^(H)they feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of ^[d]adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. ^(I)They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. ¹⁵ They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of ^(J)Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

^17 (K)These are wells without water, ^[e]clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness ^[f]forever.

Deceptions of False Teachers

¹⁸ For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who ^[g]have actually escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of ^[h]corruption; ^(L)for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into ^[i]bondage. ²⁰ For if, after they ^(M)have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are ^(N)again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹ For ^(O)it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ^(P)“A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

Instructions to the Rich

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain ^(A)riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things ^(B)to enjoy.

⁶ But she who lives in ^[a]pleasure is dead while she lives.