²⁰ They ·were made free [escaped] from the ·evil [depravity; defilement] in the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they ·return to [^Lget entangled again with] evil things and those things ·control [master; overpower; defeat] them, then ·it is worse for them than it was before [their last/final state is worse than the first; Matt. 12:45; Luke 11:26]. ²¹ ·Yes, [^LFor] it would be better for them to have never known the ·right way [or the way of righteousness] than to know it and to turn away from the holy ·teaching [^Lcommandment; law] that was ·given [passed on; handed down] to them. ²² What they did is like this true ·saying [proverb; parable]: “A dog ·goes back to what it has thrown up [^Treturns to its vomit; Prov. 26:11],” and, “After a pig is washed, it goes back and rolls in the mud.”