| New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. | 1Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. |
| 2Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. | 2Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. |
| 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. | 3In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep. |
| 4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; | 4For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; |
| 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; | 5if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight; |
| 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; | 6if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes as an example of what is coming on the ungodly; |
| 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless | 7and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless |
| 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)-- | 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— |
| 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. | 9if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. |
| 10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; | 10Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings. |
| 11yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from the Lord. | 11Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord. |
| 12But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish. | 12These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed. |
| 13They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. | 13The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you. |
| 14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed--an accursed brood! | 14Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed. |
| 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. | 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. |
| 16But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey--an animal without speech--who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness. | 16But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. |
| 17These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. | 17These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. |
| 18For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. | 18With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error. |
| 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for "people are slaves to whatever has mastered them." | 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. |
| 20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. | 20If indeed they have escaped the corruption of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, only to be entangled and overcome by it again, their final condition is worse than it was at first. |
| 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. | 21It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them. |
| 22Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud." | 22Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.” |
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