False teachers and their destruction
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. 2Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 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.
4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,2:4 Greek Tartarus putting them in chains of darkness2:4 Some manuscripts in gloomy dungeons 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; 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; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was 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) – 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. 10This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh2:10 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 18. and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from2:11 Many manuscripts beings in the presence of 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.
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, revelling in their pleasures while they feast with you.2:13 Some manuscripts in their love feasts 14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed – an accursed brood! 15They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer,2:15 Greek Bosor 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.
17These people 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. 19They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’ 20If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 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. 22Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’2:22 Prov. 26:11 and, ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.’
Atorɔ Adiyifoɔ
1Atorɔ adiyifoɔ kɔɔ tetefoɔ no mu, na saa ara nso na atorɔ adiyifoɔ bɛba mo mu ara ne no. Wɔbɛkyerɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ bɔne a nokorɛ nni mu na wɔapa Owura a ɔgyee wɔn no, na ɛnam so ama ɔsɛeɛ aba wɔn so prɛko pɛ. 2Nnipa bebree bɛfa akwammɔne so na ɛsiane deɛ wɔyɛ no enti, nnipa bɛkasa atia nokorɛ ɛkwan no. 3Saa atorɔ adiyifoɔ yi nam wɔn sikanibereɛ so bɛto anansesɛm akyerɛ mo de apɛ mo ho mfasoɔ. Wɔn ɔtemmufoɔ siesiee ne ho akyɛre, na saa ara nso na wɔn ɔsɛefoɔ no nso asɔre agyina.
4Onyankopɔn amfa abɔfoɔ a wɔyɛɛ bɔne no ho ankyɛre wɔn. Ɔtoo wɔn guu asaman sum mu baabi guu wɔn nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn, na ɛhɔ na wɔretwɛn Atemmuo da no. 5Onyankopɔn amma tete ewiase no amfa ne ho anni. Ɔmaa nsuyire baa wɔn a wɔannye asɛm no anni no so. Wɔn a ɔgyee wɔn nkwa no ne Noa a ɔkaa tenenee ho asɛm no ne nnipa baason bi. 6Onyankopɔn buu Sodom ne Gomora fɔ de ogya sɛee wɔn, de bɔɔ wɔn a wɔnnye Onyankopɔn nni no kɔkɔ. 7Ɔgyee Lot a ɔyɛ ɔteneneeni no firii nnipa nnebɔneyɛfoɔ nsam. 8Na saa ɔteneneeni no te saa nnipa nnebɔneyɛfoɔ no mu na afideɛ a na saa nnipa no yɛ no adekyeeɛ ne adesaeɛ no ha no yie. 9Yei kyerɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn nim ɛkwan a ɔfa so gye nʼakyidifoɔ firi ɔhaw mu, ɛnna ɔnim ɛkwan a ɔfa so kora nnipa nnebɔneyɛfoɔ, twe wɔn aso de twɛn Atemmuo da no, 10ne titire no, wɔn a wɔdi wɔn honam akɔnnɔ akyi na wɔpa Onyankopɔn tumi no.
Saa atorɔ akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ yi wɔ akokoɔduru na wɔmmu animuonyamfoɔ a wɔwɔ ɔsoro no, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔte wɔn atua. 11Na abɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ ahoɔden ne tumi sene saa atorɔ akyerɛkyerɛfoɔ yi mpo nka nsɛmmɔne mmu wɔn atɛn wɔ Awurade anim. 12Nanso, saa nnipa yi yɛ wɔn nneɛma te sɛ mmoa a wonni adwene, wɔwo wɔn sɛ wɔnkye wɔn nku wɔn. Wɔgu nneɛma biara a wɔnte aseɛ no ho fi. Wɔbɛsɛe wɔn sɛ mmoa.
13Ɔhaw a wɔma ɛbaeɛ no, wɔbɛtua wɔn so ka. Deɛ wɔn ani gye ho ne sɛ wɔbɛyɛ biribiara awia ketee a ɛbɛyɛ ama wɔn honam akɔnnɔ. Sɛ wɔne mo to nsa didi a, ɛgu wɔn anim ase. Ɛfiri sɛ, saa ɛberɛ no na wɔka nnaadaasɛm. 14Wɔnhwehwɛ hwee sɛ mmaa adwamanfoɔ ɛfiri sɛ, wɔpɛ sɛ daa wɔyɛ bɔne. Wɔdaadaa nnipa a wɔyɛ mmerɛ kɔ bɔne mu. Wɔayɛn wɔn akoma ama anibereɛ. Wɔwɔ Onyankopɔn nnome ase. 15Wɔamane afiri ɛkwan tee no so enti wɔayera. Wɔafa ɛkwan a Beor ba Bileam a ne sika a ɔnya de yɛ bɔne no kɔfaa so no so. 16Yei maa wɔkaa nʼanim wɔ ne bɔne no ho. Nʼafunumu de onipa nne kasaeɛ de sii odiyifoɔ no abɔdamsɛm no ho ɛkwan.
17Saa nnipa yi te sɛ asutire a awe anaasɛ omununkum a mframa bɔ no. Onyankopɔn de wɔn asie esum kabii mu wɔ baabi. 18Wɔka ahantansɛm ne nkwaseasɛm na wɔnam wɔn honam akɔnnɔ ho nnaadaa so twetwe wɔn a wɔatwe wɔn ho afiri nnebɔneyɛfoɔ ho. 19Wɔhyɛ wɔn ahofadie ho bɔ wɔ ɛberɛ a wɔn ankasa wɔyɛ bɔne nkoa ɛfiri sɛ, onipa yɛ akoa ma biribiara a ɛdi no so. 20Na sɛ onipa sua yɛn Awurade ne yɛn Agyenkwa Yesu Kristo ho asɛm, na ɔnam so dwane firi ewiase yi mu akwammɔne so, na akyire no ɔkɔ bɔne mu bio ma ɔdane bɔne akoa a, ɛnneɛ ɛyɛ hu sene ne kane no. 21Sɛ wɔnnim Kristo koraa a, anka ɛyɛ ma wɔn sene sɛ wɔbɛsua ne ho nsɛm na afei wɔbɛdane wɔn akyi akyerɛ mmara Kronkron a wɔde maa wɔn no. 22Deɛ ɛbaa wɔn so no kyerɛ sɛ, saa ɛbɛ yi yɛ nokorɛ. “Ɔkraman sane kɔtafere ne fe ɛnna ɔprako a wɔadware no no nso kɔyantam wɔ atɛkyɛ mu.”
