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

¹¹ Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts.^(A)

⁵ and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.^[a](A)

¹⁶ They profess to know God, but they deny him by their actions; they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.^(A)

⁸ But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.^{(A) 9} But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him^{(B) 10} and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?^{(C) 11} And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he fumbled about for someone to lead him by the hand.^(D)

²⁰ But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to engage in sexual immorality^[a] and to eat food sacrificed to idols.^(A)

¹⁴ But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and engage in sexual immorality.^{[a](A) 15} So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

⁶ Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

¹⁸ for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.”^{(A) 19} It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions.

Testing the Spirits

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