2 Peter 3
1 I write to you now this second letter, beloved, in which I arouse your sincere mind by a reminder,
My loved ones, this is now my second letter to you, and in this as in the first, I am attempting to keep your true minds awake;
2 to remember the sayings that were earlier spoken by the holy prophets, and of the command of your apostles of the Lord and Savior.
So that you may keep in mind the words of the holy prophets in the past, and the law of the Lord and Saviour which was given to you by his Apostles.
3 Knowing this first, that there will come at the end of the days, scoffers, proceeding according to their own desires,
Having first of all the knowledge that in the last days there will be men who, ruled by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things,
4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For, from since the fathers became asleep, all things continue this way from the beginning of creation.
Saying, Where is the hope of his coming? From the death of the fathers till now everything has gone on as it was from the making of the world.
5 For this is willfully ignored by them, that long ago there were heavens, and an earth that came together out of water and by water by the word of God,
But in taking this view they put out of their minds the memory that in the old days there was a heaven, and an earth lifted out of the water and circled by water, by the word of God;
6 by which the world then perished, having been overflowed with water.
And that the world which then was came to an end through the overflowing of the waters.
7 But now the heavens and the earth, which have been stored up by the same word, are being preserved for fire in a day of judgment and destruction of irreverent men.
But the present heaven and the present earth have been kept for destruction by fire, which is waiting for them on the day of the judging and destruction of evil men.
8 But beloved, let not this one thing be ignored by you, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
But, my loved ones, keep in mind this one thing, that with the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years are no more than one day.
9 The Lord is not slack about his promise, as some regard slackness, but is patient toward us, not wanting any to perish, but all to go forward to repentance.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his word, as he seems to some, but he is waiting in mercy for you, not desiring the destruction of any, but that all may be turned from their evil ways.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, during which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements, being intensely hot, will be disintegrated, and the earth and the works in it will be destroyed by fire.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; and in that day the heavens will be rolled up with a great noise, and the substance of the earth will be changed by violent heat, and the world and everything in it will be burned up.
11 Therefore, all these things being disintegrated, what kind ought ye to be in holy actions and pieties,
Seeing then that all these things are coming to such an end, what sort of persons is it right for you to be, in all holy behaviour and righteousness,
12 anticipating and hastening the coming of the day of God, by which the heavens, being made fiery hot, will be disintegrated, and the elements dissolve, being intensely hot?
Looking for and truly desiring the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will come to an end through fire, and the substance of the earth will be changed by the great heat?
13 But we anticipate a new heavens and a new earth according to his promise, in which righteousness dwells.
But having faith in his word, we are looking for a new heaven and a new earth, which will be the resting-place of righteousness.
14 Therefore, beloved, anticipating these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, without spot and blameless.
For this reason, my loved ones, as you are looking for these things, take great care that when he comes you may be in peace before him, free from sin and every evil thing.
15 And consider the longsuffering of our Lord, salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him,
And be certain that the long waiting of the Lord is for salvation; even as our brother Paul has said in his letters to you, from the wisdom which was given to him;
16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them about these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist, as also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.
And as he said in all his letters, which had to do with these things; in which are some hard sayings, so that, like the rest of the holy Writings, they are twisted by those who are uncertain and without knowledge, to the destruction of their souls.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, knowing in advance, keep watch, lest, having accommodated to the error of the lawless, ye fall from your own steadfastness.
For this reason, my loved ones, having knowledge of these things before they take place, take care that you are not turned away by the error of the uncontrolled, so falling from your true faith.
The Great Flood
