Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

He prophesies of false teachers, and shows their punishment.

2 There were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will slyly bring in damnable sects, even denying the Lord who has bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation. ² And many will follow their damnable ways, by which the way of truth will be ill spoken of. ³ And through covetousness they will with feigned words make merchandise of you. Their judgment is not far off, and their damnation sleeps not.

⁴ For God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be kept until the judgment. ⁵ And he did not spare the old world, but saved Noah, the preacher of righteousness, with seven others, and brought in the flood upon the world of the ungodly. ⁶ And he turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, overthrew them, damned them, and made them an example to all who afterwards would live ungodly. ⁷ But just Lot, vexed with the unclean ways of the wicked, he delivered. ⁸ For he, being righteous, and dwelling among them, was vexed in his righteous soul from day to day, with seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds.

⁹ So then, the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of affliction, and how to reserve the unjust for the day of judgment, to be punished; ¹⁰ namely those who walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise authority. Presumptuous they are, and stubborn, and fear not to speak evil of those who are in authority,