2 Peter 2:16

Balaam rode on a *donkey. He went to speak against the *Jews. But an *angel stood on the path in front of him. Balaam’s *donkey stopped but Balaam could not see the *angel. So Balaam hit his *donkey. He tried to force his donkey to move. *Donkeys are dumb animals. But this donkey spoke to Balaam with a human voice. Afterwards, Balaam saw the *angel. The *angel spoke to Balaam. The *donkey stopped the *prophet Balaam from what he had intended to do. And God will stop the wicked behaviour of the false teachers.

v17 These false teachers are like wells that have no water in them. The false teachers are like the mist. But the strong wind blows the mists away. The false teachers will go to the place of black darkness. v18 They speak proudly but their words have no value. Some people were just beginning to escape from their past wicked behaviour. But the false teachers tempted these people to enjoy their evil desires. v19 They promised that the people would be free. But the false teachers themselves are not free. They are like slaves to the things that will destroy them. People are slaves to anything that controls them. v20 People escape from the wicked ways of the world when they learn about our *Lord and *Saviour Jesus Christ. But those wicked ways may again catch and overcome them. This makes it worse for such people than it was before. v21 It would have been better for them if they had not known the right way. The false teachers had learned about God’s holy law. They knew it but they refused it. v22 What happened to the false teachers shows that these popular statements are true. ‘A dog (an animal like a fox) returns to its own *vomit.’ And, ‘After you have washed a pig it will return to the mud.’