1 No passado surgiram falsos profetas no meio do povo, como também surgirão entre vocês falsos mestres. Estes introduzirão secretamente heresias destruidoras, chegando a negar o Soberano que os resgatou, trazendo sobre si mesmos repentina destruição.2 Muitos seguirão os caminhos vergonhosos desses homens e, por causa deles, será difamado o caminho da verdade.3 Em sua cobiça, tais mestres os explorarão com histórias que inventaram. Há muito tempo a sua condenação paira sobre eles, e a sua destruição não tarda.4 Pois Deus não poupou os anjos que pecaram, mas os lançou no inferno, prendendo-os em abismos tenebrosos a fim de serem reservados para o juízo.5 Ele não poupou o mundo antigo quando trouxe o dilúvio sobre aquele povo ímpio, mas preservou Noé, pregador da justiça, e mais sete pessoas.6 Também condenou as cidades de Sodoma e Gomorra, reduzindo-as a cinzas, tornando-as exemplo do que acontecerá aos ímpios;7 mas livrou Ló, homem justo, que se afligia com o procedimento libertino dos que não tinham princípios morais8 ( pois, vivendo entre eles, todos os dias aquele justo se atormentava em sua alma justa por causa das maldades que via e ouvia ).9 Vemos, portanto, que o Senhor sabe livrar os piedosos da provação e manter em castigo os ímpios para o dia do juízo,10 especialmente os que seguem os desejos impuros da carne e desprezam a autoridade. Insolentes e arrogantes, tais homens não têm medo de difamar os seres celestiais;11 contudo, nem os anjos, embora sendo maiores em força e poder, fazem acusações injuriosas contra aqueles seres na presença do Senhor.12 Mas eles difamam o que desconhecem e são como criaturas irracionais, guiadas pelo instinto, nascidas para serem capturadas e destruídas; serão corrompidos pela sua própria corrupção!13 Eles receberão retribuição pela injustiça que causaram. Consideram prazer entregar-se à devassidão em plena luz do dia. São nódoas e manchas, regalando-se em seus prazeres, quando participam das festas de vocês.14 Tendo os olhos cheios de adultério, nunca param de pecar, iludem os instáveis e têm o coração exercitado na ganância. Malditos!15 Eles abandonaram o caminho reto e se desviaram, seguindo o caminho de Balaão, filho de Beor, que amou o salário da injustiça,16 mas em sua transgressão foi repreendido por uma jumenta, um animal mudo, que falou com voz humana e refreou a insensatez do profeta.17 Esses homens são fontes sem água e névoas impelidas pela tempestade. A escuridão das trevas lhes está reservada,18 pois eles, com palavras de vaidosa arrogância e provocando os desejos libertinos da carne, seduzem os que estão quase conseguindo fugir daqueles que vivem no erro.19 Prometendo-lhes liberdade, eles mesmos são escravos da corrupção, pois o homem é escravo daquilo que o domina.20 Se, tendo escapado das contaminações do mundo por meio do conhecimento de nosso Senhor e Salvador Jesus Cristo, encontram-se novamente nelas enredados e por elas dominados, estão em pior estado do que no princípio.21 Teria sido melhor que não tivessem conhecido o caminho da justiça, do que, depois de o terem conhecido, voltarem as costas para o santo mandamento que lhes foi transmitido.22 Confirma-se neles que é verdadeiro o provérbio: "O cão voltou ao seu vômito" e ainda: "A porca lavada voltou a revolver-se na lama".

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be teachers of falsehood among you also, who will cunningly introduce fatal divisions, disowning even the Sovereign Lord who has redeemed them, and bringing on themselves swift destruction.2 And in their immoral ways they will have many eager disciples, through whom religion will be brought into disrepute.3 Thirsting for riches, they will trade on you with their canting talk. From of old their judgement has been working itself out, and their destruction has not been slumbering.4 For God did not spare angels when they had sinned, but hurling them down to Tartarus consigned them to caves of darkness, keeping them in readiness for judgement.5 And He did not spare the ancient world, although He preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a deluge on the world of the ungodly.6 He reduced to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and condemned them to overthrow, making them an example to people who might in future be living godless lives.7 But when righteous Lot was sore distressed by the gross misconduct of immoral men He rescued him.8 (For their lawless deeds were torture, day after day, to the pure soul of that righteous man–all that he saw and heard whilst living in their midst.)9 Since all this is so, the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from temptation, and on the other hand how to keep the unrighteous under punishment in readiness for the Day of Judgement,10 and especially those who are abandoned to sensuality–craving, as they do, for polluted things, and scorning control. Fool-hardy and self-willed, they do not tremble when speaking evil of glorious beings;11 while angels, though greater than they in might and power, do not bring any insulting accusation against such in the presence of the Lord.12 But these men, like brute beasts, created (with their natural instincts) only to be captured or destroyed, are abusive in matters of which they are ignorant, and in their corruption will perish,13 being doomed to receive a requital for their guilt. They reckon it pleasure to feast daintily in broad daylight. They are spots and blemishes, while feeding luxuriously at their love-feasts, and banqueting with you.14 Their very eyes are full of adultery–being eyes which never cease from sin. These men set traps to catch unstedfast souls, their own hearts being well trained in greed. They are fore-doomed to God's curse!15 Forsaking the straight road, they have gone astray, having eagerly followed in the steps of Balaam, the son of Beor, who was bent on securing the wages of unrighteousness.16 But he was rebuked for his transgression: a dumb ass spoke with a human voice and checked the madness of the Prophet.17 These people are wells without water, mists driven along by a storm, men for whom the dense darkness has been reserved.18 For, while they pour out their frivolous and arrogant talk, they use earthly cravings –every kind of immorality– as a bait to entrap men who are just escaping from the influence of those who live in error.19 And they promise them freedom, although they are themselves the slaves of what is corrupt. For a man is the slave of any one by whom he has been worsted in fight.20 For if, after escaping from the pollutions of the world through a full knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, people are once more entangled in these pollutions and are overcome, their last state has become worse than their first.21 For it would have been better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandments in which they were instructed.22 Their case is that described in the true proverb, »A dog returns to what he has vomited,« and also in the other proverb, »The sow has washed itself and now goes back to roll in its filth.«