1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.2 And many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them the way of truth will be reviled.3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words; from of old their condemnation has not been idle, and their destruction has not been asleep.4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of nether gloom to be kept until the judgment;5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven other persons, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly;6 if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomor'rah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example to those who were to be ungodly;7 and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the wicked8 (for by what that righteous man saw and heard as he lived among them, he was vexed in his righteous soul day after day with their lawless deeds),9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and wilful, they are not afraid to revile the glorious ones,11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a reviling judgment upon them before the Lord.12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and killed, reviling in matters of which they are ignorant, will be destroyed in the same destruction with them,13 suffering wrong for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their dissipation, carousing with you.14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!15 Forsaking the right way they have gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Be'or, who loved gain from wrongdoing,16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a dumb ass spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the nether gloom of darkness has been reserved.18 For, uttering loud boasts of folly, they entice with licentious passions of the flesh men who have barely escaped from those who live in error.19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption; for whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved.20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first.21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, The dog turns back to his own vomit, and the sow is washed only to wallow in the mire.

1 εγενοντο δε και ψευδοπροφηται εν τω λαω ως και εν υμιν εσονται ψευδοδιδασκαλοι οιτινες παρεισαξουσιν αιρεσεις απωλειας και τον αγορασαντα αυτους δεσποτην αρνουμενοι επαγοντες εαυτοις ταχινην απωλειαν2 και πολλοι εξακολουθησουσιν αυτων ταις απωλειαις δι ους η οδος της αληθειας βλασφημηθησεται3 και εν πλεονεξια πλαστοις λογοις υμας εμπορευσονται οις το κριμα εκπαλαι ουκ αργει και η απωλεια αυτων ου νυσταζει4 ει γαρ ο θεος αγγελων αμαρτησαντων ουκ εφεισατο αλλα σειραις ζοφου ταρταρωσας παρεδωκεν εις κρισιν τετηρημενους5 και αρχαιου κοσμου ουκ εφεισατο αλλ ογδοον νωε δικαιοσυνης κηρυκα εφυλαξεν κατακλυσμον κοσμω ασεβων επαξας6 και πολεις σοδομων και γομορρας τεφρωσας καταστροφη κατεκρινεν υποδειγμα μελλοντων ασεβειν τεθεικως7 και δικαιον λωτ καταπονουμενον υπο της των αθεσμων εν ασελγεια αναστροφης ερρυσατο8 βλεμματι γαρ και ακοη ο δικαιος εγκατοικων εν αυτοις ημεραν εξ ημερας ψυχην δικαιαν ανομοις εργοις εβασανιζεν9 οιδεν κυριος ευσεβεις εκ {VAR1: πειρασμου } {VAR2: πειρασμων } ρυεσθαι αδικους δε εις ημεραν κρισεως κολαζομενους τηρειν10 μαλιστα δε τους οπισω σαρκος εν επιθυμια μιασμου πορευομενους και κυριοτητος καταφρονουντας τολμηται αυθαδεις δοξας ου τρεμουσιν βλασφημουντες11 οπου αγγελοι ισχυι και δυναμει μειζονες οντες ου φερουσιν κατ αυτων παρα κυριω βλασφημον κρισιν12 ουτοι δε ως αλογα ζωα φυσικα γεγενημενα εις αλωσιν και φθοραν εν οις αγνοουσιν βλασφημουντες εν τη φθορα αυτων καταφθαρησονται13 κομιουμενοι μισθον αδικιας ηδονην ηγουμενοι την εν ημερα τρυφην σπιλοι και μωμοι εντρυφωντες εν ταις απαταις αυτων συνευωχουμενοι υμιν14 οφθαλμους εχοντες μεστους μοιχαλιδος και ακαταπαυστους αμαρτιας δελεαζοντες ψυχας αστηρικτους καρδιαν γεγυμνασμενην πλεονεξιαις εχοντες καταρας τεκνα15 καταλιποντες την ευθειαν οδον επλανηθησαν εξακολουθησαντες τη οδω του βαλααμ του βοσορ ος μισθον αδικιας ηγαπησεν16 ελεγξιν δε εσχεν ιδιας παρανομιας υποζυγιον αφωνον εν ανθρωπου φωνη φθεγξαμενον εκωλυσεν την του προφητου παραφρονιαν17 ουτοι εισιν πηγαι ανυδροι νεφελαι υπο λαιλαπος ελαυνομεναι οις ο ζοφος του σκοτους εις αιωνα τετηρηται18 υπερογκα γαρ ματαιοτητος φθεγγομενοι δελεαζουσιν εν επιθυμιαις σαρκος {VAR2: εν } ασελγειαις τους οντως αποφυγοντας τους εν πλανη αναστρεφομενους19 ελευθεριαν αυτοις επαγγελλομενοι αυτοι δουλοι υπαρχοντες της φθορας ω γαρ τις ηττηται τουτω και δεδουλωται20 ει γαρ αποφυγοντες τα μιασματα του κοσμου εν επιγνωσει του κυριου και σωτηρος ιησου χριστου τουτοις δε παλιν εμπλακεντες ηττωνται γεγονεν αυτοις τα εσχατα χειρονα των πρωτων21 κρειττον γαρ ην αυτοις μη επεγνωκεναι την οδον της δικαιοσυνης η επιγνουσιν επιστρεψαι εκ της παραδοθεισης αυτοις αγιας εντολης22 συμβεβηκεν δε αυτοις το της αληθους παροιμιας κυων επιστρεψας επι το ιδιον εξεραμα και υς λουσαμενη εις κυλισμα βορβορου