¹⁸ How they said to you, In the last days there will be men who, guided by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things.

³ Having first of all the knowledge that in the last days there will be men who, ruled by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things,

²⁹ I am conscious that after I am gone, evil wolves will come in among you, doing damage to the flock;

³ For the time will come when they will not take the true teaching; but, moved by their desires, they will get for themselves a great number of teachers for the pleasure of hearing them;

¹ But there were false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly put forward wrong teachings for your destruction, even turning away from the Lord who gave himself for them; whose destruction will come quickly, and they themselves will be the cause of it.

¹⁶ These are the men who make trouble, ever desiring change, going after evil pleasures, using high-sounding words, respecting men's position in the hope of reward.

¹ <To the chief music-maker. Of David.> The foolish man has said in his heart, God will not do anything. They are unclean, they have done evil works; there is not one who does good.

² The Lord was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God.

¹ But the Spirit says clearly that in later times some will be turned away from the faith, giving their minds to spirits of deceit, and the teachings of evil spirits,

² Through the false ways of men whose words are untrue, whose hearts are burned as with a heated iron;

¹ But be certain of this, that in the last days times of trouble will come.

² For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, uplifted in pride, given to bitter words, going against the authority of their fathers, never giving praise, having no religion,

³ Without natural love, bitter haters, saying evil of others, violent and uncontrolled, hating all good,

⁴ False to their friends, acting without thought, lifted up in mind, loving pleasure more than God;

⁵ Having a form of religion, but turning their backs on the power of it: go not with these.

¹³ Evil and false men will become worse and worse, using deceit and themselves overcome by deceit.