Punishment of Apostates

13 “If there arises among you a prophet or a ^(A)dreamer of dreams, ^(B)and he gives you a sign or a wonder,

Love for God and One Another

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but ^(A)test the spirits, whether they are of God; because ^(B)many false prophets have gone out into the world.

²⁵ “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ ²⁶ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, ²⁷ who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, ^(A)as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.

⁹ Therefore do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your ^[a]dreamers, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon.”

¹⁸ He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.)

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is ^(A)according to the working of Satan, with all power, ^(B)signs, and lying wonders,

²² For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and ^(A)wonders to deceive, if possible, even the ^[a]elect.