²⁰ And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?’

“One suggested this, and another that. ²¹ Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the Lord and said, ‘I will entice him.’

²² “‘By what means?’ the Lord asked.

“‘I will go out and be a deceiving^(A) spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,’ he said.

“‘You will succeed in enticing him,’ said the Lord. ‘Go and do it.’

²³ “So now the Lord has put a deceiving^(B) spirit in the mouths of all these prophets^(C) of yours. The Lord has decreed disaster^(D) for you.”

¹⁸ The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord:^(A) ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (But he was lying^(B) to him.) ¹⁹ So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.

²⁰ While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. ²¹ He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have defied^(C) the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. ²² You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors.’”

²⁷ As for you, the anointing^(A) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things^(B) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.^(C)

²¹ I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it^(A) and because no lie comes from the truth.

¹⁶ He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable^(A) people distort,^(B) as they do the other Scriptures,^(C) to their own destruction.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard^(D) so that you may not be carried away by the error^(E) of the lawless^(F) and fall from your secure position.^{(G) 18} But grow in the grace^(H) and knowledge^(I) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(J) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.^(K)

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. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct^(E) and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed^(F) these teachers will exploit you^(G) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.