15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of ^aBalaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;  ‡

16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 ^aThese are wells without water,¹ clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness² forever.  ‡

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who¹ have actually escaped from those who live in error.  ‡

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of¹ corruption; ^afor by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into² bondage.  ‡

20 For if, after they ^ahave escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are ^bagain entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.  ‡

21 For ^ait would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.  ‡

22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ^a“A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” ‡