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10 —especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust and who despise authority.

Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones,[a](A) 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not bring against them a slanderous judgment.[b] 12 These people, however, are like irrational animals, mere creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed. They slander what they do not understand, and as those creatures are destroyed,[c] they also will be destroyed, 13 suffering[d] the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures[e] while they feast with you.(B) 14 They have eyes full of adultery,[f] insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 They have left the straight road and have gone astray, following the road of Balaam son of Bosor,[g] who loved the wages of doing wrong(C) 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

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Footnotes

  1. 2.10 Or angels; Gk glories
  2. 2.11 Other ancient authorities add from the Lord or before the Lord
  3. 2.12 Gk in their destruction
  4. 2.13 Other ancient authorities read receiving
  5. 2.13 Other ancient authorities read love feasts
  6. 2.14 Gk adulteress; or longing for an adulteress
  7. 2.15 Other ancient authorities read Beor

10 He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.

These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings[a] without so much as trembling. 11 But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord[b] a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings.

12 These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed. 13 Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception[c] even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals. 14 They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse. 15 They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor,[d] who loved to earn money by doing wrong. 16 But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:10 Greek at glorious ones, which are probably evil angels.
  2. 2:11 Other manuscripts read to the Lord; still others do not include this phrase at all.
  3. 2:13 Some manuscripts read in fellowship meals.
  4. 2:15 Some manuscripts read Bosor.