Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. {heresies: or, sects}

For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if {it were} possible, even the elect.

Whose end {is} destruction, whose God {is their} belly, and {whose} glory {is} in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. {rudiments: or, elements} {make a prey: or, seduce you, or, lead you astray}

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if {it were} possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

That we {henceforth} be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, {and} cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, {beguile...: or, judge against you} {in a...: Gr. being a voluntary in humility}

Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and {I know} the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but {are} the synagogue of Satan.

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am {Christ}; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. {and the time: or, and, The time}

For such {are} false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, {Is} not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. {and say: Heb. saying}

I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, {even} where Satan's seat {is}: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas {was} my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, {and} not out of the mouth of the LORD.

Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

Thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in {his} wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger {from his right}, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. {oppress: or, defraud}

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that {be} in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by {the means of} those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for {that day shall not come}, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

They zealously affect you, {but} not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. {exclude you: or, exclude us}

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see {him} not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

These {things} have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

The ancient and honourable, he {is} the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he {is} the tail.

If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, {saying}, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. {walking...: or, walk with the wind, and lie falsely}

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver {it} into the hand of the king.

Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! {follow: Heb. walk after} {and...: or, and things which they have not seen}

The watchman of Ephraim {was} with my God: {but} the prophet {is} a snare of a fowler in all his ways, {and} hatred in the house of his God. {in the: or, against the}

His watchmen {are} blind: they are all ignorant, they {are} all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. {sleeping: or, dreaming, or, talking in their sleep}

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed {is} every one that hangeth on a tree:

If we suffer, we shall also reign with {him}: if we deny {him}, he also will deny us:

And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let {him} go.

Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

Now therefore send, {and} gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. {assured...: Heb. peace of truth}

Where {are} now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?

Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

And it shall come to pass, {that} when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the LORD: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth.

But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.

I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? {is} not he thy father {that} hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have {it} more abundantly.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if {it were} possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! {call...: Heb. say concerning evil, It is good, etc}

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

That we {henceforth} be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, {and} cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

These {things} have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines {have} tender grapes.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. {corrupt: or, deal deceitfully with} {in Christ: or, of Christ}

But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; {things...: or, scandals}

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Whose end {is} destruction, whose God {is their} belly, and {whose} glory {is} in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, {that} shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. {heresies: or, sects}

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. {reprobate: or, of no judgment}

And the tongue {is} a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. {course: Gr. wheel}

If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which {is} as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;

These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling {words}, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:

Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine; but I will give you assured peace in this place. {assured...: Heb. peace of truth}

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

He said unto him, I {am} a prophet also as thou {art}; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. {But} he lied unto him.

Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but {he that is} perverse {in his} ways shall fall at once.

For such {are} false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, {Is} not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us. {and say: Heb. saying}

Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be {as} still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, {which} thou hast purchased.

If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? {is} not he thy father {that} hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?

Now therefore send, {and} gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table.

And Micaiah said, Behold, thou shalt see in that day, when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself. {into...: or, from chamber to chamber: Heb. a chamber in a chamber}

An hypocrite with {his} mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction {that causeth} to err from the words of knowledge.

The thing that hath been, it {is that} which shall be; and that which is done {is} that which shall be done: and {there is} no new {thing} under the sun.

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love {to have it} so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? {bear...: or, take into their hands}

They have healed also the hurt {of the daughter} of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when {there is} no peace. {hurt: Heb. bruise, or, breach}

Then all the men which knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, {saying}, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. {walking...: or, walk with the wind, and lie falsely}

And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, {that} I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land.

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. {house: or, kindred}

Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

As also in all {his} epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as {they do} also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs {come} out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. {abundance: or, power}

Her prophets {are} light {and} treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

{There is} a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,

Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver {it} into the hand of the king.

Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; {that prophesy out...: Heb. that are prophets out of their own hearts}

Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:

Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets that speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. {an...: or, filthiness}

And thou, Pashur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity: and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and shalt be buried there, thou, and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied lies.

Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.

Therefore will I give their wives unto others, {and} their fields to them that shall inherit {them}: for every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness, from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

Then said Elijah unto the people, I, {even} I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets {are} four hundred and fifty men.

The ancient and honourable, he {is} the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he {is} the tail.

A false witness shall not be unpunished, and {he that} speaketh lies shall perish.

For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt {yourselves}, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble {you}, and thereby many be defiled; {fail...; or, fall from}

Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? {or} thy faithfulness in destruction?

And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean; then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe {himself} in water, and be unclean until the even.

He is a leprous man, he {is} unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague {is} in his head.

This also {were} an iniquity {to be punished by} the judge: for I should have denied the God {that is} above.

{Is} not destruction to the wicked? and a strange {punishment} to the workers of iniquity?

Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye {do}; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver {it} into the hand of the king.

And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name {was} Barjesus:

Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

But if thy brother be grieved with {thy} meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. {charitably: Gr. according to charity}

It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.

Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.