Beloved,do not believeeveryspirit,but testthe spiritsto see whetherthey are from God,becausemanyfalse prophetshave goneout into the world.
He saidto him, "I alsoam a prophetlikeyou, and an angelspoketo me by the wordof the LORD,saying,'Bringhim backwith you to your house,that he may eatbreadand drinkwater.'"[But] he liedto him.
The naivebelieveseverything,But the sensiblemanconsidershis steps.
Then the LORDsaidto me, "The prophetsare prophesyingfalsehoodin My name.I have neithersentthem norcommandedthem norspokento them; they are prophesyingto you a false vision,divination,futilityand the deceptionof their own minds.
Thussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Do not listento the wordsof the prophetswho are prophesyingto you. They are leadingyou into futility;They speaka visionof their own imagination,Not from the mouthof the LORD.
The prophetsprophesyfalsely,And the priestsruleon their [own] authority;And My peopleloveit so!But whatwill you doat the endof it?
"And thenifanyonesaysto you, 'Behold,hereis the Christ;or, 'Behold,[He is] there;do not believe[him];
"And whydo you not evenon your owninitiativejudgewhat is right?
And He said,"Seeto it that you are not misled;for manywill comein My name,saying,I am[He],' and, 'The timeis near.'Do not goafterthem.
Nowthesewere more noble-mindedthan thosein Thessalonica,for they receivedthe wordwith greateagerness,examiningthe Scripturesdaily[to see] whetherthese thingswere so.
"I knowthat aftermy departuresavagewolveswill comein amongyou, not sparingthe flock;
and to anotherthe effectingof miracles,and to anotherprophecy,and to anotherthe distinguishingof spirits,to another[various] kindsof tongues,and to anotherthe interpretationof tongues.
Let twoorthreeprophetsspeak,and let the otherspass judgment.
do not despiseprophetic utterances.
But examineeverything[carefully]; hold fastto that which is good;
that you not be quicklyshakenfrom your composureorbe disturbedeitherby a spiritora messageora letteras iffrom us, to the effectthat the dayof the Lordhas come.
But the Spiritexplicitlysaysthat in latertimessomewill fall awayfrom the faith,paying attentionto deceitfulspiritsand doctrinesof demons,
But evilmenand impostorswill proceed[from bad] to worse,deceivingand being deceived.
But false prophetsalsoaroseamongthe people,justas there will alsobe false teachersamongyou, whowill secretly introducedestructiveheresies,evendenyingthe Masterwho boughtthem, bringingswiftdestructionupon themselves.
Children,it is the lasthour;and justas you heardthat antichristis coming,evennowmanyantichristshave appeared;from thiswe knowthat it is the lasthour.
Beloved,I am not writinga newcommandmentto you, but an oldcommandmentwhichyou have hadfrom the beginning;the oldcommandmentis the wordwhichyou have heard.
For manydeceivershave goneout into the world,thosewho do not acknowledgeJesusChrist[as] comingin the flesh.Thisis the deceiverand the antichrist.
Beloved,do not imitatewhat is evil,but what is good.The one who does goodis of God;the one who does evilhas not seenGod.
I knowyour deedsand your toiland perseverance,and that you cannottolerateevil men,and you put to the testthosewho callthemselvesapostles,and they are not, and you foundthem [to be] false;
