“ Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.

“你们要防备假先知。他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼。

“你们要防备假先知。他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼。

“你们要防备假先知。他们到你们这里来，外面披着羊皮，里面却是残暴的狼。

“你们要提防假先知，他们披着羊皮到你们当中，骨子里却是凶残的狼。

“提防假先知！他们披着羊皮到你们当中，里面却是残暴的狼。

“你们要提防假先知。他们披着羊皮来到你们这里，里面却是凶残的狼。

「你們要防備假先知。他們到你們這裏來，外面披着羊皮，裏面卻是殘暴的狼。

「你們要防備假先知。他們到你們這裏來，外面披着羊皮，裏面卻是殘暴的狼。

「你們要防備假先知。他們到你們這裏來，外面披着羊皮，裏面卻是殘暴的狼。

「你們要提防假先知，他們披著羊皮到你們當中，骨子裡卻是凶殘的狼。

“提防假先知！他們披著羊皮到你們當中，裡面卻是殘暴的狼。

『你們要注意提防假的神言人；那種人到你們這裏來，打扮得像羊，裏面卻是勒索的狼。

「你們要提防假先知。他們披著羊皮來到你們這裡，裡面卻是凶殘的狼。

謹防偽先知、其就爾也、外飾若羊、內則貪狼、

謹防偽師、其就爾、外如羔羊、內實豺狼、

謹防偽先知、其就爾、外似羊、內實豺狼、

有現於爾前者、外披羊皮、內實貪狼、冒作先知、不可不防也。

“ Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

“ Watch out for false prophets. They come to you pretending to be sheep. But on the inside they are hungry wolves.

“ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

“ Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.

“ Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

“ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

“ Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.

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

“ Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.

“ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.

And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered.In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.

Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock.Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following.Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you— my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.Watch out! I have warned you about this ahead of time!

“ Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles,and the predicted signs or miracles occur. If they then say,‘ Come, let us worship other gods’— gods you have not known before—do not listen to them. The Lord your God is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.

These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.

You rulers make decisions based on bribes; you priests teach God’s laws only for a price; you prophets won’t prophesy unless you are paid. Yet all of you claim to depend on the Lord.“ No harm can come to us,” you say,“ for the Lord is here among us.”

What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds, for their ancestors also praised false prophets.

You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.

I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

This is what the Lord says:“ You false prophets are leading my people astray! You promise peace for those who give you food, but you declare war on those who refuse to feed you.Now the night will close around you, cutting off all your visions. Darkness will cover you, putting an end to your predictions. The sun will set for you prophets, and your day will come to an end.Then you seers will be put to shame, and you fortune tellers will be disgraced. And you will cover your faces because there is no answer from God.”

And the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who did mighty miracles on behalf of the beast— miracles that deceived all who had accepted the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue. Both the beast and his false prophet were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.

Your leaders are like wolves who tear apart their victims. They actually destroy people’s lives for money!

Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, but he spoke with the voice of a dragon.He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and its people to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.He did astounding miracles, even making fire flash down to earth from the sky while everyone was watching.And with all the miracles he was allowed to perform on behalf of the first beast, he deceived all the people who belong to this world. He ordered the people to make a great statue of the first beast, who was fatally wounded and then came back to life.He was then permitted to give life to this statue so that it could speak. Then the statue of the beast commanded that anyone refusing to worship it must die.He required everyone— small and great, rich and poor, free and slave— to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.

And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.

For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

Then the Lord said,“ These prophets are telling lies in my name. I did not send them or tell them to speak. I did not give them any messages. They prophesy of visions and revelations they have never seen or heard. They speak foolishness made up in their own lying hearts.Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I will punish these lying prophets, for they have spoken in my name even though I never sent them. They say that no war or famine will come, but they themselves will die by war and famine!As for the people to whom they prophesy— their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, victims of famine and war. There will be no one left to bury them. Husbands, wives, sons, and daughters— all will be gone. For I will pour out their own wickedness on them.

“ I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil, for they prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people of Israel into sin.But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil so that no one turns away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were.”Therefore, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says concerning the prophets:“ I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink. For it is because of Jerusalem’s prophets that wickedness has filled this land.”This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people:“ Do not listen to these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord!

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!They are the kind who work their way into people’s homes and win the confidence of vulnerable women who are burdened with the guilt of sin and controlled by various desires.( Such women are forever following new teachings, but they are never able to understand the truth.)These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have depraved minds and a counterfeit faith.But they won’t get away with this for long. Someday everyone will recognize what fools they are, just as with Jannes and Jambres.

Jesus also taught:“ Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces.And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”

Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say,‘ Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says about your prophets— Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah— who are telling you lies in my name:“ I will turn them over to Nebuchadnezzar for execution before your eyes.

“ Watch out!” Jesus warned them.“ Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Even that question came up only because of some so called believers there— false ones, really— who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations.

Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved.

For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived.

Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims. Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.

Your princes plot conspiracies just as lions stalk their prey. They devour innocent people, seizing treasures and extorting wealth. They make many widows in the land.

Be careful! Don’t let the prophets’ words apply to you. For they said,

Jesus told them,“ Don’t let anyone mislead you,for many will come in my name, claiming,‘ I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.

I will punish him and his family. None of his descendants will see the good things I will do for my people, for he has incited you to rebel against me. I, the Lord, have spoken!’”

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

Then he said,“ Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”

The leaders of Israel are the head, and the lying prophets are the tail.For the leaders of the people have misled them. They have led them down the path of destruction.

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth.

And I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs leap from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet.

“ On that day people will be ashamed to claim the prophetic gift. No one will pretend to be a prophet by wearing prophet’s clothes.

A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock.

I could see that she was drunk— drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement.

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to Hananiah,“ Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, but the people believe your lies.Therefore, this is what the Lord says:‘ You must die. Your life will end this very year because you have rebelled against the Lord.’”Two months later the prophet Hananiah died.

They were lying prophets who claimed peace would come to Jerusalem when there was no peace. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!’

But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.

For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.Like greedy dogs, they are never satisfied. They are ignorant shepherds, all following their own path and intent on personal gain.

They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.

Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar Jesus.

You have discouraged the righteous with your lies, but I didn’t want them to be sad. And you have encouraged the wicked by promising them life, even though they continue in their sins.