⁹ Then ^(A)Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.

¹⁵ Forsaking ^(A)the right way, they have gone astray, having followed ^(B)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved ^(C)the wages of unrighteousness, ¹⁶ but he received a rebuke for his own lawlessness, ^(D)for a mute donkey, speaking out with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.

¹⁷ These are ^(E)springs without water and mists driven by a storm, ^(F)for whom the ^[a]black darkness has been kept. ¹⁸ For speaking out ^(G)arrogant words of ^(H)vanity, they ^(I)entice by ^(J)sensual lusts of the flesh, those who barely ^(K)escape from the ones who conducted themselves in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for ^(L)by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if they are overcome, having both ^(M)escaped the defilements of the world by ^(N)the knowledge of the ^(O)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and having again been ^(P)entangled in them, then ^(Q)the last state has become worse for them than the first. ^21 (R)For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from ^(S)the holy commandment ^(T)handed on to them. ²² The ^[b]message of the true proverb has happened to them, “^(U)A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone ^(A)the way of Cain, and for pay they have poured themselves into ^(B)the error of Balaam, and ^(C)perished in the rebellion of Korah.