⁶ They have envisioned falsehood and lying divination; they say, “Says the Lord,” when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they wait for the fulfillment of their word!^(A)

¹⁴ And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.^(A)

³ For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound teaching, but, having their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires^{(A) 4} and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths.

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders,^{(A) 10} and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.^{(B) 11} For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false,^(C)

¹³ For such boasters are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.^{(A) 14} And no wonder! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. ¹⁵ So it is not strange if his ministers also disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their end will match their deeds.^(B)

False Prophets and Their Punishment

2 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.^{(A) 2} Even so, many will follow their debaucheries, and because of these teachers^[a] the way of truth will be maligned.

¹⁹ And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.^{(A) 20} For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.^{(B) 21} But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”^[a](C)