False Prophets and Teachers
1 Sometimes false prophets spoke to the people of Israel. False teachers will also sneak in and speak harmful lies to you. But these teachers don't really belong to the Master who paid a great price for them, and they will quickly destroy themselves. 2 Many people will follow their evil ways and cause others to tell lies about the true way. 3 They will be greedy and cheat you with smooth talk. But long ago God decided to punish them, and God doesn't sleep.
4 God did not have pity on the angels that sinned. He had them tied up and thrown into the dark pits of hell until the time of judgment. 5 And during Noah's time, God did not have pity on the ungodly people of the world. He destroyed them with a flood, though he did save eight people, including Noah, who preached the truth.
6 God punished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and this is a warning to anyone else who wants to sin.
7-8 Lot lived right and was greatly troubled by the terrible way those wicked people were living. He was a good man, and day after day he suffered because of the evil things he saw and heard. So the Lord rescued him. 9 This shows that the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their sufferings and to punish evil people while they wait for the day of judgment.
10 The Lord is especially hard on people who disobey him and don't think of anything except their own filthy desires. They are reckless and proud and are not afraid of cursing the glorious beings in heaven. 11 Although angels are more powerful than these evil beings, even the angels don't dare to accuse them to the Lord.
12 These people are no better than senseless animals that live by their feelings and are born to be caught and killed. They speak evil of things they don't know anything about. But their own corrupt deeds will destroy them. 13 They have done evil, and they will be rewarded with evil.
They think it is fun to have wild parties during the day. They are immoral, and the meals they eat with you are spoiled by the shameful and selfish way they carry on. 14 All they think about is having sex with someone else's husband or wife. There is no end to their wicked deeds. They trick people who are easily fooled, and their minds are filled with greedy thoughts. But they are headed for trouble!
15 They have left the true road and have gone down the wrong path by following the example of the prophet Balaam. He was the son of Beor and loved what he got from being a crook. 16 But a donkey corrected him for this evil deed. It spoke to him with a human voice and made him stop his foolishness.
17 These people are like dried up water holes and clouds blown by a windstorm. The darkest part of hell is waiting for them. 18 They brag out loud about their stupid nonsense. And by being vulgar and crude, they trap people who have barely escaped from living the wrong kind of life. 19 They promise freedom to everyone. But they are merely slaves of filthy living, because people are slaves of whatever controls them.
20 When they learned about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they escaped from the filthy things of this world. But they are again caught up and controlled by these filthy things, and now they are in worse shape than they were at first. 21 They would have been better off if they had never known about the right way. Even after they knew what was right, they turned their backs on the holy commandments they were given. 22 What happened to them is just like the true saying,
“A dog will come back
to lick up its own vomit.
A pig that has been washed
will roll in the mud.”
Viltus pravieši un skolotāji un viņu alga
1 Arī viltus pravieši ir bijuši Dieva tautā, un tāpat arī starp jums būs viltus skolotāji, kas nemanāmi aizsāks postošus novirzienus, kas ved pazušanā, un noliegs Valdnieku, kas viņus ir izpircis. Tā viņi tuvinās sev drīzu pazušanu. 2 Daudzi sekos viņu izlaidībai, un viņu dēļ patiesības ceļš tiks zaimots; 3 alkatības dzīti, ar viltīgām runām viņi jūs izmantos savā labā; sods viņus kopš senlaikiem jau gaida, un viņu pazušana nesnauž. 4 Jo Dievs pat eņģeļus, kad tie apgrēkojās, nesaudzēja, bet, tumsas važās ieslēgtus, nogrūda tos bezdibenī – līdz tiesas dienai. 5 Viņš nesaudzēja arī seno pasauli, un, kad viņš uzsūtīja plūdus šai bezdievju pasaulei, viņš pasargāja tikai taisnības sludinātāju Nou un vēl septiņus citus. 6 Tāpat viņš sodīja pilsētas Sodomu un Gomoru, pārvēršot tās pelnos, ar to parādīdams, kas nākamībā sagaida bezdievjus. 7 Viņš atbrīvoja arī taisno Latu, ko bija nomākusi dzīve izlaidīgo bezdievju vidū; 8 dienu no dienas mītot starp tiem, viņa taisnā dvēsele mocījās, skatīdamās un klausīdamās viņu negantos darbus. 9 Kungs zina, kā izglābt no kārdinājuma dievbijīgos un kā netaisnos pataupīt līdz tiesas dienai, lai sodītu, 10 un vēl vairāk tos, kas dzenas pēc nešķīstām miesas kārībām un ikvienu varu nonicina. Augstprātīgie pārdrošnieki – viņi nebīstas zaimot tos, kam pienākas godība, – 11 pat eņģeļi, kas spēkā un varā ir pārāki, Kunga priekšā nenosoda tos ar zaimojošu spriedumu. 12 Bet tie ir kā bezprātīgi dzīvnieki, kas pēc savas dabas dzimuši, lai tiktu satverti un iznīcināti, tie nezina, kādēļ tie zaimo; iznīcinādami viņi arī paši tiks iznīcināti, 13 tā šie nelieši saņems pienācīgu algu par savām nelietībām. Atraduši baudu izlaidībās gaišā dienas laikā, viņi apgānās un ir nešķīsti savā uzdzīvē un, dzīrodami kopā ar jums, arī jūs ievelk savos maldos. 14 Viņu acis ir laulības pārkāpšanas pilnas un nemitīgi tiecas grēkot; viņi aizvilina nepastāvīgas dvēseles; viņu sirdis ir vingrinātas alkatībā; viņi ir lāsta bērni, 15 kas ir aizmaldījušies, pametuši taisno ceļu un sākuši iet Bileāma, Beora dēla, ceļu, kas iekāroja saņemt algu par nelietībām. 16 Viņa pārkāpums tika atmaskots, kad bezvalodas jūga lops, ierunādamies cilvēka balsī, stājās pretī šā pravieša neprātam. 17 Viņi ir kā avoti bez ūdens un vētras dzīti miglas mākoņi, viņus gaida dziļa tumsība. 18 Tukši lielīdamies, viņi aizvilina miesas iekāres izlaidībā arī tos, kuri tik tikko izbēguši no tiem, kas dzīvo maldos. 19 Viņi sola tiem brīvību, bet paši ir iznīcības vergi, un tas, kas kādam zaudējis, kļūst tam par vergu. 20 Ja tie, zinādami mūsu Kungu un Glābēju, Jēzu Kristu, ir izbēguši no pasaules sārņiem, bet atkal sapinušies tajos ieslīgst, tad viņu stāvoklis ir sliktāks nekā sākumā. 21 Tiem būtu bijis labāk neiepazīt taisnības ceļu nekā iepazīt un novērsties no tiem uzticētā svētā baušļa. 22 Ar viņiem ir noticis, kā teikts patiesajā sakāmvārdā: suns skrien atpakaļ pie saviem vēmekļiem; nomazgāta cūka – lai vārtītos dubļos.
