1 WYC But also false prophetis weren in the puple, as in you schulen be maistris lieris, that schulen bringe in sectis of perdicioun; and thei denyen thilke Lord that bouyte hem, and bringen on hem silf hasti perdicioun. BSB BSB: Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
2 WYC And many schulen sue her letcheries, bi whiche the weie of treuthe schal be blasfemyd; BSB BSB: Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed.
3 WYC and thei schulen make marchaundie of you in coueytise bi feyned wordis. To whiche doom now a while ago ceessith not, and the perdicioun of hem nappith not. BSB BSB: In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.
4 WYC For if God sparide not aungels synnynge, but bitook hem to be turmentid, and to be drawun doun with boondis of helle in to helle, to be kept in to dom; BSB BSB: For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;
5 WYC and sparide not the firste world, but kept Noe, the eiythe man, the biforgoere of riytwisnesse, and brouyte in the greet flood to the world of vnfeithful men; BSB BSB: if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;
7 WYC and delyuerid the iust Loth, oppressid of the wrong, and of the letcherouse conuersacioun of cursid men; BSB BSB: and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless
8 WYC for in siyt and hering he was iust, and dwellide amongst hem that fro dai in to dai turmentiden with wickid werkis a iust soule. BSB BSB: (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)—
9 WYC For the Lord kan delyuere piteuouse men fro temptacioun, and kepe wickid men `in to the dai of dom to be turmentid; BSB BSB: if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
10 WYC but more hem that walken aftir the fleisch, in coueytinge of vnclennesse, and dispisen lordschiping, and ben boold, plesynge hem silf, and dreden not to bringe in sectis, blasfemynge; where aungels, BSB BSB: Such punishment is specially reserved for those who indulge the corrupt desires of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and self-willed, they are unafraid to slander glorious beings.
11 WYC whanne thei ben more in strengthe and vertu, beren not `that was the execrable doom ayens hem. BSB BSB: Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.
12 WYC But these ben as vnresonable beestis, kyndli in to takyng, and in to deth, blasfemynge in these thingis that thei knowen not, and schulen perische in her corrupcioun, BSB BSB: These men are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be captured and destroyed. They blaspheme in matters they do not understand, and like such creatures, they too will be destroyed.
13 WYC and resseyue the hire of vnriytwisnesse. And thei gessen delicis of defouling and of wemme, to be likyngis of dai, flowynge in her feestis with delicis, doynge letcherie with you, BSB BSB: The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you.
14 WYC and han iyen ful of auowtrie, and vnceessynge trespas, disseyuynge vnstidfast soulis, and han the herte excercisid to coueitise; the sones of cursyng, BSB BSB: Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.
15 WYC that forsaken the riyt weie, and erriden, suynge the weie of Balaam of Bosor, which louyde the hire of wickidnesse. BSB BSB: They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
16 WYC But he hadde repreuyng of his woodnesse; a doumb beest vndur yok, that spak with vois of man, that forbede the vnwisdom of the profete. BSB BSB: But he was rebuked for his transgression by a donkey, otherwise without speech, that spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
17 WYC These ben wellis with out watir, and mystis dryuun with `whirlinge wyndys, to whiche the thicke mijst of derknessis is reseruyd. BSB BSB: These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
18 WYC And thei speken in pryde of vanyte, and disseyuen in desiris of fleisch of letcherie hem, that scapen a litil. BSB BSB: With lofty but empty words, they appeal to the sensual passions of the flesh and entice those who are just escaping from others who live in error.
19 WYC Whiche lyuen in errour, and biheten fredom to hem, whanne thei ben seruauntis of corrupcioun. For of whom ony man is ouercomun, of hym also he is seruaunt. BSB BSB: They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves to depravity. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
21 WYC For it was betere to hem to not knowe the weie of riytwisnesse, than to turne ayen aftir the knowyng, fro that hooli maundement that was bitakun to hem. BSB BSB: It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed on to them.
22 WYC For thilke very prouerb bifelde to hem, The hound turnede ayen to his castyng, and a sowe is waischun in walwyng in fenne. BSB BSB: Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.