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, reveling 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 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. 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.”
假教師
1以往曾經有假先知在百姓中出現，將來在你們中間也同樣會有假教師出現。他們暗地裡引進使人滅亡的異端邪說，甚至否認那位買贖他們的主。這些人正迅速地自招滅亡。 2許多人會效法他們邪惡無恥的行為，致使真理之道被人毀謗。 3他們貪婪成性，會用花言巧語在你們身上牟利。這種人的刑罰自古已經判定，他們很快就會滅亡。
4即使天使犯了罪，上帝也沒有容忍他們，而是把他們扔進地獄裡，囚在幽暗的深坑等候審判。 5上帝也沒有容忍遠古的世代，曾用洪水淹滅了世上不敬虔的惡人，只留下傳講公義的挪亞和他的七位家人。 6上帝也審判了所多瑪和蛾摩拉，將二城毀滅，燒為灰燼，作為以後不敬虔之人的警戒。 7祂只拯救了因惡人的淫亂放蕩而憂傷的義人羅得， 8因為義人羅得住在他們當中，天天耳聞目睹他們的不法行為，他正直的心很痛苦。 9可見上帝知道怎樣拯救敬虔的人脫離試煉，把不義的人拘禁在刑罰之下，等候審判的日子， 10尤其是那些放縱污穢的情慾、輕視權柄的人。他們膽大妄為，肆無忌憚地毀謗有尊榮的。 11即使力量和權能更大的天使都不在主面前用毀謗的話控告有尊榮的。 12但他們好像沒有理性，生下來就是預備讓人捉去宰殺的牲畜，對自己不懂的事也隨口毀謗，最終必像牲畜一樣被毀滅。 13他們多行不義，必自食惡果。他們喜愛在大白天尋歡作樂，是敗類和渣滓，一面和你們同席，一面以欺騙為樂。 14他們眼中充滿淫慾，不停地犯罪，引誘那些信心不堅定的人。他們貪婪成性，實在是該受咒詛！ 15他們離棄正道，走入歧途，重蹈比珥之子巴蘭的覆轍。巴蘭貪愛不義之財， 16因自己的罪而受了責備。不能說話的驢竟然像人一樣說起話來，制止了他狂妄的行為。
17他們如同枯乾的水井和被狂風吹散的霧氣，有幽幽黑暗留給他們。 18他們口出狂言，空話連篇，以肉體的邪情私慾為餌，誘惑那些剛剛擺脫了荒謬生活的人。 19他們許諾給人自由，而自己卻被敗壞奴役，因為人被什麼制伏，就被什麼奴役。
20他們如果藉著認識我們的主和救主耶穌基督，已經擺脫了世俗的污穢，但後來又被這些事纏住、俘虜了，結局會比以前更糟糕。 21他們明知道正路，卻背棄了傳給他們的神聖誡命，這樣倒不如不知道的好。 22俗語說得好：「狗轉身吃自己所吐的；豬洗乾淨了，又回到污泥裡去打滾。」2·22 箴言26·11。這些話正好用在他們身上。
