¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last times^(A) there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”^(B)

³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days^(A) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.^(B)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets^(A) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.^(B) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord^(C) who bought them^(D)—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.^(A) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.^(B)

²⁹ I know that after I leave, savage wolves^(A) will come in among you and will not spare the flock.^(B)

¹⁶ These people are grumblers^(A) and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires;^(B) they boast^(C) about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.

¹³ while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse,^(A) deceiving and being deceived.^(B)

4 The Spirit^(A) clearly says that in later times^(B) some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits^(C) and things taught by demons. ² Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.^(D)

Psalm 14^(A)

For the director of music. Of David.