²⁵ And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.

^8 (A)Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and ^(B)speak evil of ^[a]dignitaries. ⁹ Yet Michael the archangel, in ^[b]contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ^(C)“The Lord rebuke you!” ^10 (D)But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. ¹¹ Woe to them! For they have gone in the way ^(E)of Cain, ^(F)have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished ^(G)in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

¹² These are ^[c]spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried ^[d]about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; ^13 (H)raging waves of the sea, ^(I)foaming up their own shame; wandering stars ^(J)for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

¹⁰ and especially ^(A)those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. ^(B)They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of ^[a]dignitaries, ¹¹ whereas ^(C)angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.

Depravity of False Teachers

¹² But these, ^(D)like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, ^13 (E)and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure ^(F)to ^[b]carouse in the daytime. ^(G)They are spots and blemishes, ^[c]carousing in their own deceptions while ^(H)they feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of ^[d]adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. ^(I)They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. ¹⁵ They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of ^(J)Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

^17 (K)These are wells without water, ^[e]clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness ^[f]forever.

Deceptions of False Teachers

¹⁸ For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who ^[g]have actually escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of ^[h]corruption; ^(L)for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into ^[i]bondage.

⁹ The coming of the lawless one is ^(A)according to the working of Satan, with all power, ^(B)signs, and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all unrighteous deception among ^(C)those who perish, because they did not receive ^(D)the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And ^(E)for this reason God will send them strong delusion, ^(F)that they should believe the lie, ¹² that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but ^(G)had pleasure in unrighteousness.

⁴⁴ Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. ⁴⁵ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; ^(A)and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

¹⁷ Now after the death of Jehoiada the leaders of Judah came and bowed down to the king. And the king listened to them. ¹⁸ Therefore they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served ^(A)wooden images and idols; and ^(B)wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem because of their trespass. ¹⁹ Yet He ^(C)sent prophets to them, to bring them back to the Lord; and they testified against them, but they would not listen.

²⁰ Then the Spirit of God ^[a]came upon ^(D)Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God: ^(E)‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? ^(F)Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’ ” ²¹ So they conspired against him, and at the command of the king they ^(G)stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the Lord. ²² Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his ^[b]father had done to him, but killed his son; and as he died, he said, “The Lord look on it, and ^(H)repay!”