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.”

⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted ^(A)the heavenly gift, and ^(B)have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ^6 [a]if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, ^(C)since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

⁷ For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, ^(D)receives blessing from God; ^8 (E)but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

⁹ Then He asked him, “What is your name?”

And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”

The Just Live by Faith

²⁶ For ^(A)if we sin willfully ^(B)after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there ^(C)no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and ^(D)fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. ²⁸ Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three ^(E)witnesses. ^29 (F)Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, ^(G)counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, ^(H)and insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know Him who said, ^(I)“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” ^[a]says the Lord. And again, ^(J)“The Lord will judge His people.” ^31 (K)It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

²⁶ Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and ^(A)the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

^10 (A)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 ^(B)of Cain, ^(C)have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished ^(D)in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

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

Mary Magdalene Sees the Risen Lord^(A)

^9 [a]Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, ^(B)out of whom He had cast seven demons.

¹⁴ having eyes full of ^[a]adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. ^(A)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 ^(B)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 (C)These are wells without water, ^[b]clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness ^[c]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 ^[d]have actually escaped from those who live in error. ¹⁹ While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of ^[e]corruption; ^(D)for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into ^[f]bondage. ²⁰ For if, after they ^(E)have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are ^(F)again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. ²¹ For ^(G)it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ^(H)“A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and ^(A)He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. ^(B)There is sin leading to death. ^(C)I do not say that he should pray about that. ^17 (D)All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.