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.

⁶ Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as ^(A)they also lusted. ^7 (B)And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ^(C)“The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ^8 (D)Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as ^(E)some of them did, and ^(F)in one day twenty-three thousand fell;

The Idolatry of Israel

Israel’s Harlotry in Moab

25 Now Israel remained in ^(A)Acacia Grove,^[a] and the ^(B)people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. ^2 (C)They invited the people to ^(D)the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and ^(E)bowed down to their gods. ³ So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and ^(F)the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, ^(G)“Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, ^(H)that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

⁵ So Moses said to ^(I)the judges of Israel, ^(J)“Every one of you kill his men who were joined to Baal of Peor.”

⁶ And indeed, one of the children of Israel came and presented to his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, ^(K)who were weeping at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

⁷ as ^(A)Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the ^[a]vengeance of eternal fire.

^8 (B)Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and ^(C)speak evil of ^[b]dignitaries. ⁹ Yet Michael the archangel, in ^[c]contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, ^(D)“The Lord rebuke you!” ^10 (E)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 ^(F)of Cain, ^(G)have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished ^(H)in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed

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