believing lies

¹⁷But I beg you, brothers, to take note of those who cause dissensions and offenses contrary to the doctrine that you have learned, and to turn away from them. ¹⁸For ones such as these do not serve Christ our Lord, but their inner selves, and, through pleasing words and skillful speaking, they seduce the hearts of the innocent.

²O God, do not be silent toward my praise, for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful one have been opened against me. ³They have spoken against me with deceitful tongues, and they have surrounded me with hateful words, and they fought against me over nothing. ⁴Instead of choosing to act on my behalf, they detracted me. But I gave myself to prayer.

⁸See to it that no one deceives you through philosophy and empty falsehoods, as found in the traditions of men, in accord with the influences of the world, and not in accord with Christ.

⁹him whose advent is accompanied by the works of Satan, with every kind of power and signs and false miracles, ¹⁰and with every seduction of iniquity, toward those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of truth, so that they may be saved. For this reason, God will send to them works of deception, so that they may believe in lies, ¹¹in order that all those who have not believed in the truth, but who have consented to iniquity, may be judged. ¹²Yet we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers, beloved of God, because God has chosen you as first-fruits for salvation, by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth. ¹³He has also called you into truth through our Gospel, unto the acquisition of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸Behold, you trust in false words, which will not benefit you,

⁵Have confidence in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend upon your own prudence. ⁶In all your ways, consider him, and he himself will direct your steps.

⁵and height that extols itself contrary to the wisdom of God, and leading every intellect into the captivity of obedience to Christ,

¹³by the offense of their mouth and by the speech of their lips. And may they be caught in their arrogance. And, for their cursing and lying, they will be made known ¹⁴at the consummation, in the fury of the consummation, and so they will be no more. And they will know that God will rule over Jacob, even to the ends of the earth.

⁴Now I say this, so that no one may deceive you with grandiose words.

³And they have bent their tongue, like a bow, to send forth lies and not the truth. They have been strengthened upon the earth. And they have gone from one evil to another. But they have not known me, says the Lord.

¹⁶Behold, I created the smith who fans the coals of the fire and produces an object by his work, and I have created the slayer who destroys. ¹⁷No object which has been formed to use against you will succeed. And every tongue that resists you in judgment, you shall judge. This is the inheritance of the servants of the Lord, and this is their justice with me, says the Lord.

¹²But what I am doing, I will continue to do, so that I may take away an opportunity from those who desire an opportunity by which they may glory, so as to be considered to be like us. ¹³For false apostles, such as these deceitful workers, are presenting themselves as if they were Apostles of Christ. ¹⁴And no wonder, for even Satan presents himself as if he were an Angel of light. ¹⁵Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers present themselves as if they were ministers of justice, for their end shall be according to their works.