This is now
, abeloved
, the second
letter
I am writing
to you in which
I am bstirring
up your sincere
mind
by way
of reminder
,
that you should aremember the words
spoken
beforehand
by bthe holy
prophets
and cthe commandment
of the Lord
and Savior
spoken by your apostles
.
aKnow this
first
of all, that bin the last
days
cmockers
will come
with their mocking
, dfollowing
after
their own
lusts
,
and saying, " aWhere
is the promise
of His bcoming
? For ever since
the fathers
cfell
asleep
, all
continues
just
as it was dfrom the beginning
of creation
."
For 1when they maintain this
, it escapes
their notice
that aby the word
of God
the heavens
existed
long
ago
and the earth
was bformed
out of water
and by water
,
through which
athe world
at that time
was bdestroyed
, being flooded
with water
.
But by His word athe present
heavens
and earth
are being reserved
for bfire
, kept
for cthe day
of judgment
and destruction
of ungodly
men
.
But do not let this one
fact escape
your notice
, abeloved
, that with the Lord
one
day
is like
a thousand
years
, and ba thousand
years
like
one
day
.
aThe Lord is not slow
about His promise
, as some
count
slowness
, but bis patient
toward
you, cnot wishing
for any
to perish
but for all
to come
to repentance
.
But athe day of the Lord
bwill come
like
a thief
, in which
cthe heavens
dwill pass
away
with a roar
and the eelements
will be destroyed
with intense
heat
, and fthe earth
and 1its works
will be 2burned
up.
Since all these
things
are to be destroyed
in this
way
, what
sort
of people ought
you to be in holy
conduct
and godliness
,
alooking for and hastening
the coming
of the day
of God
, because
of which
bthe heavens
will be destroyed
by burning
, and the celements
will melt
with intense
heat
!
But according to His apromise
we are looking
for bnew
heavens
and a new
earth
, cin which
righteousness
dwells
.
aTherefore, bbeloved
, since you look
for these
things
, be diligent
to be cfound
by Him in peace
, dspotless
and blameless
,
and regard the apatience
of our Lord
as salvation
; just
as also
bour beloved
brother
Paul
, caccording
to the wisdom
given
him, wrote
to you,
as also in all
his letters
, speaking
in them of athese
things
, bin which
are some
things
hard
to understand
, which
the untaught
and cunstable
distort
, as they do also
dthe rest
of the Scriptures
, to their own
destruction
.
You therefore, abeloved
, knowing
this beforehand
, bbe on your guard
so
that you are not carried
away
by cthe error
of dunprincipled
men
and efall
from your own
steadfastness
,
but grow in the grace
and aknowledge
of our bLord
and Savior
Jesus
Christ
. cTo Him be the glory
, both
now
and to the day
of eternity
. Amen
.