⁴ Your prophets have been like jackals among ruins, O Israel.

²⁰ And the beast was captured, and with it ^(A)the false prophet ^(B)who in its presence^[a] had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who ^(C)worshiped its image. These two were ^(D)thrown alive into the lake of ^(E)fire that burns with sulfur.

The Second Beast

¹¹ Then ^(A)I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence,^[a] and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, ^(B)whose mortal wound was healed. ^13 (C)It performs great signs, even ^(D)making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, ¹⁴ and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of^[b] the beast ^(E)it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast ^(F)that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

¹⁰ For there are many who are insubordinate, ^(A)empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of ^(B)the circumcision party.^{[a] 11} They must be silenced, since ^(C)they are upsetting whole families by teaching ^(D)for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. ^12 (E)One of the Cretans,^[b] a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”^[c]

Some Will Depart from the Faith

4 Now ^(A)the Spirit expressly says that ^(B)in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to ^(C)deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, ² through the insincerity of ^(D)liars whose consciences are seared,

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan ^(A)with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for ^(B)those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, ^(A)tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in ^(B)deceitful schemes.

^4 (A)Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who ^(B)slipped in to spy out ^(C)our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, ^(D)so that they might bring us into slavery—

¹³ For such men are ^(A)false apostles, ^(B)deceitful workmen, ^(C)disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as ^(D)an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as ^(E)servants of righteousness. ^(F)Their end will correspond to their deeds.