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1. In the past there were false prophets among God's people. It is the same now. You will have some false teachers in your group. They will teach things that are wrong�ideas that will cause people to be lost. And they will teach in a way that will be hard for you to see that they are wrong. They will even refuse to follow the Master who bought their freedom. And so they will quickly destroy themselves.
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1. But G1161 there were G1096 false prophets G5578 also G2532 among G1722 the G3588 people G2992 , even G2532 as G5613 there shall be G2071 false teachers G5572 among G1722 you G5213 , who G3748 privily shall bring in G3919 damnable G684 heresies G139 , even G2532 denying G720 the G3588 Lord G1203 that bought G59 them G846 , and bring upon G1863 themselves G1438 swift G5031 destruction G684 .
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2. Many people will follow them in the morally wrong things they do. And because of them, others will say bad things about the way of truth we follow.
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2. And G2532 many G4183 shall follow G1811 their G846 pernicious ways G684 ; by reason of G1223 whom G3739 the G3588 way G3598 of truth G225 shall be evil spoken of G987 .
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3. These false teachers only want your money. So they will use you by telling you things that are not true. But the judgment against these false teachers has been ready for a long time. And they will not escape God who will destroy them.
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3. And G2532 through G1722 covetousness G4124 shall they with feigned G4112 words G3056 make merchandise G1710 of you G5209 : whose G3739 judgment G2917 now of a long time G1597 lingereth G691 not G3756 , and G2532 their G846 damnation G684 slumbereth G3573 not G3756 .
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4. When angels sinned, God did not let them go free without punishment. He sent them to hell. He put those angels in caves of darkness, where they are being held until the time when God will judge them.
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4. For G1063 if G1487 God G2316 spared G5339 not G3756 the angels G32 that sinned G264 , but G235 cast them down to hell G5020 , and delivered G3860 them into chains G4577 of darkness G2217 , to be reserved G5083 unto G1519 judgment G2920 ;
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5. And God punished the evil people who lived long ago. He brought a flood to the world that was full of people who were against God. But he saved Noah and seven other people with him. Noah was a man who told people about living right.
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5. And G2532 spared G5339 not G3756 the old G744 world G2889 , but G235 saved G5442 Noah G3575 the eighth G3590 person, a preacher G2783 of righteousness G1343 , bringing in G1863 the flood G2627 upon the world G2889 of the ungodly G765 ;
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6. God also punished the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He burned them until there was nothing left but ashes. He used those cities as an example of what will happen to people who are against God.
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6. And G2532 turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes G5077 G4172 G4670 G2532 G1116 condemned G2632 them with an overthrow G2692 , making G5087 them an example G5262 unto those that after should G3195 live ungodly G764 ;
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7. But he saved Lot, a good man who lived there. Lot was greatly troubled by the morally bad lives of those evil people.
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7. And G2532 delivered G4506 just G1342 Lot G3091 , vexed G2669 with G5259 the G3588 filthy conversation G1722 G766 G391 of the G3588 wicked G113 :
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8. This good man lived with those evil people every day, and his good heart was hurt by the evil things he saw and heard.
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8. ( For G1063 that righteous man G1342 dwelling G1460 among G1722 them G846 , in seeing G990 and G2532 hearing G189 , vexed G928 his righteous G1342 soul G5590 from day G2250 to G1537 day G2250 with their unlawful G459 deeds G2041 );
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9. So you see that the Lord God knows how to save those who are devoted to him. He will save them when troubles come. And the Lord will hold evil people to punish them on the day of judgment.
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9. The Lord G2962 knoweth G1492 how to deliver G4506 the godly G2152 out of G1537 temptations G3986 , and G1161 to reserve G5083 the unjust G94 unto G1519 the day G2250 of judgment G2920 to be punished G2849 :
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10. That punishment is for those who are always doing the evil that their sinful selves want to do. It is for those who hate the Lord's authority. These false teachers do whatever they want, and they are so proud of themselves. They are not afraid even to say bad things against the glorious ones.
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10. But G1161 chiefly G3122 them that walk G4198 after G3694 the flesh G4561 in G1722 the lust G1939 of uncleanness G3394 , and G2532 despise G2706 government G2963 . Presumptuous G5113 are they, self G829 -willed , they are not G3756 afraid G5141 to speak evil G987 of dignities G1391 .
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11. The angels are much stronger and more powerful than these beings. But even the angels don't accuse them and say bad things about them to the Lord.
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11. Whereas G3699 angels G32 , which are G5607 greater G3187 in power G2479 and G2532 might G1411 , bring G5342 not G3756 railing G989 accusation G2920 against G2596 them G846 before G3844 the Lord G2962 .
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12. But these false teachers speak evil against what they don't understand. They are like animals that do things without really thinking�like wild animals that are born to be caught and killed. And, like wild animals, they will be destroyed.
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12. But G1161 these G3778 , as G5613 natural G5446 brute G249 beasts G2226 , made G1080 to be taken G1519 G259 and G2532 destroyed G5356 , speak evil G987 of G1722 the things that G3739 they understand not G50 ; and shall utterly perish G2704 in G1722 their own G848 corruption G5356 ;
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13. They have made many people suffer. So they themselves will suffer. That is their pay for what they have done. They think it is fun to do evil where everyone can see them. They enjoy the evil things that please them. So they are like dirty spots and stains among you� they bring shame to you in the meals you eat together.
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13. And shall receive G2865 the reward G3408 of unrighteousness G93 , as they that count G2233 it pleasure G2237 to riot G5172 in G1722 the day time G2250 . Spots G4695 they are and G2532 blemishes G3470 , sporting themselves G1792 with G1722 their own G848 deceivings G539 while they feast G4910 with you G5213 ;
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14. Every time they look at a woman, they want her. They are always sinning this way. And they lead weaker people into the trap of sin. They have taught themselves well to be greedy. They are under a curse.
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14. Having G2192 eyes G3788 full G3324 of adultery G3428 , and G2532 that cannot cease G180 from sin G266 ; beguiling G1185 unstable G793 souls G5590 : a heart G2588 they have G2192 exercised G1128 with covetous practices G4124 ; cursed G2671 children G5043 :
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15. These false teachers left the right way and went the wrong way. They followed the same way that the prophet Balaam went. He was the son of Beor, who loved being paid for doing wrong.
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15. Which have forsaken G2641 the G3588 right G2117 way G3598 , and are gone astray G4105 , following G1811 the G3588 way G3598 of Balaam G903 the son of Bosor G1007 , who G3739 loved G25 the wages G3408 of unrighteousness G93 ;
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16. But a donkey told him that he was doing wrong. A donkey cannot talk, of course, but that donkey spoke with a man's voice and stopped the prophet from acting so crazy.
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16. But G1161 was rebuked G2192 G1649 for his G2398 iniquity G3892 : the dumb G880 ass G5268 speaking G5350 with G1722 man G444 's voice G5456 forbade G2967 the G3588 madness G3913 of the G3588 prophet G4396 .
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17. These false teachers are like springs that have no water. They are like clouds that are blown by a storm. A place in the deepest darkness has been kept for them.
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17. These G3778 are G1526 wells G4077 without water G504 , clouds G3507 that are carried G1643 with G5259 a tempest G2978 : to whom G3739 the G3588 mist G2217 of darkness G4655 is reserved G5083 forever G1519 G165 .
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18. They boast with words that mean nothing. They lead people into the trap of sin. They find people who have just escaped from a wrong way of life and lead them back into sin. They do this by using the evil things people want to do in their human weakness.
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18. For G1063 when they speak G5350 great swelling G5246 words of vanity G3153 , they allure G1185 through G1722 the lusts G1939 of the flesh G4561 , through much wantonness G766 , those that were clean escaped G668 G3689 from them who live G390 in G1722 error G4106 .
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19. These false teachers promise those people freedom, but they themselves are not free. They are slaves to a mind that has been ruined by sin. Yes, people are slaves to anything that controls them.
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19. While they promise G1861 them G846 liberty G1657 , they G846 themselves are G5225 the servants G1401 of corruption G5356 : for G1063 of whom G3739 a man G5100 is overcome G2274 , of the same G5129 is he G2532 brought in bondage G1402 .
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20. People can be made free from the evil in the world. They can be made free by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they go back into those evil things and are controlled by them, then it is worse for them than it was before.
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20. For G1063 if G1487 after they have escaped G668 the G3588 pollutions G3393 of the G3588 world G2889 through G1722 the knowledge G1922 of the G3588 Lord G2962 and G2532 Savior G4990 Jesus G2424 Christ G5547 , they are G1161 again G3825 entangled G1707 therein G5125 , and G2532 overcome G2274 , the G3588 latter end G2078 is G1096 worse G5501 with them G846 than the G3588 beginning G4413 .
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21. Yes, it would be better for them to have never known the right way. That would be better than to know the right way and then to turn away from the holy teaching that was given to them.
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21. For G1063 it had been G2258 better G2909 for them G846 not G3361 to have known G1921 the G3588 way G3598 of righteousness G1343 , than G2228 , after they have known G1921 it, to turn G1994 from G1537 the G3588 holy G40 commandment G1785 delivered G3860 unto them G846 .
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22. What they did is like these true sayings: "A dog vomits and goes back to what it threw up." And, "After a pig is washed, it goes back and rolls in the mud again."
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22. But G1161 it is happened G4819 unto them G846 according G3588 to the G3588 true G227 proverb G3942 , The dog G2965 is turned to his own vomit again G1994 G1909 G2398 G1829 ; and G2532 the sow G5300 that was washed G3068 to G1519 her wallowing G2946 in the mire G1004 .
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