< 2 Timothy 3 >
1 Be aware that there will be troubled times in the last days.
But understand this: In the last days terrible times will come.
2 People will love themselves and love money. They will be boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and without God in their lives.
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 Heartless and unforgiving, they'll commit slander and have no self-control. Brutal people who hate what's good,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, without love of good,
4 they will betray others and be totally thoughtless. They are absurdly full of themselves, living so much for pleasure that they don't care about loving God.
traitorous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 They may give an outward impression of being religious, but they don't actually believe it works. Stay away from these people!
having a form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such as these!
6 They're the kind of people that slip into homes and take control of vulnerable women who are burdened down by the guilt of sin and distracted by all kinds of desires.
They are the kind who worm their way into households and captivate vulnerable women who are weighed down with sins and led astray by various passions,
7 These women are always trying to learn but they're never able to understand the truth!
who are always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
8 Just like Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, these teachers also oppose the truth. They are people with corrupted minds whose supposed trust in God is a lie.
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth. They are depraved in mind and disqualified from the faith.
9 But they won't get far. Their stupidity will be obvious to everyone, just like that of Jannes and Jambres.
But they will not advance much further. For just like Jannes and Jambres, their folly will be plain to everyone.
10 But you know all about my teaching and behavior, and my aim in life. You know my trust in God and my love. You know what I've had to endure—
You, however, have observed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance,
11 how I've been persecuted and what I've suffered. You know what happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—the troubles I had and how the Lord rescued me from all of them.
my persecutions, and the sufferings that came upon me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
12 Of course it's true that everyone who wants to live a life devoted to God in Christ Jesus will experience persecution,
Indeed, all who desire to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
13 while wicked people and frauds will do well, going from bad to worse, deceiving others and deceiving themselves too.
while evil men and imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you must hold onto the things you've learned and are convinced are true. You know who taught you.
But as for you, continue in the things you have learned and firmly believed, since you know from whom you have learned them.
15 From your childhood you've known the holy Scriptures which can give you understanding for salvation by trusting in Christ Jesus.
From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture inspired by God is useful for teaching, for confronting what is wrong, for setting us straight, and for telling us what is right.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 This is how God provides a thorough preparation for those who work for him to accomplish all that's good.
so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.