2 Peter 3
1 This [is] now, beloved, a second letter I write to you, in both which I stir up your pure mind in reminding [you]
Beloved, this is now the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them they are reminders to stir up your sincere mind,
2 to be mindful of the sayings said before by the holy prophets, and of the command of us the apostles of the LORD and Savior,
so that you will recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles.
3 knowing this first, that there will come scoffers in the last days, going on according to their own desires,
Know this first, that mockers will come in the last days. They will mock and proceed according to their own desires.
4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things so remain from the beginning of the creation”;
They will say, “Where is the promise of his return? From when our fathers fell asleep, all things have stayed the same, since the beginning of creation.”
5 for this they willingly conceal, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth having been established by the word of God out of water and through water,
They willfully forget that the heavens and the earth came to exist out of water and through water, long ago, by God's command,
6 through which the world then, having been flooded by water, was destroyed;
and that through these things, the world of that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
7 and by the same word, the present heavens and earth, having been stored up for fire, are being preserved until [the] day of judgment and destruction of impious men.
But now the heavens and the earth are reserved for fire by that same command. They are reserved for the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly people.
8 And do not let this one thing be concealed from you, beloved, that one day with the LORD [is] as one thousand years and one thousand years as one day;
It should not escape your notice, beloved, that one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.
9 the LORD is not slow in regard to the promise, as some count slowness, but is long-suffering to us, not intending any to be lost, but all to come to conversion,
The Lord does not move slowly concerning his promises, as some consider slowness to be. Instead, he is patient toward you. He does not desire for any of you to perish, but for everyone to make room for repentance.
10 and it will come—the Day of the LORD—as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements will be dissolved with burning heat, and [the] earth and the works in it will not be found.
However, the day of the Lord will come as a thief: The heavens will pass away with a loud noise. The elements will be burned with fire, and the earth and the deeds in it will be revealed.
11 All these, then, being dissolved, what kind of persons ought you to be in holy behaviors and pious acts,
Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? You should live holy and godly lives.
12 waiting for and hurrying the coming of the Day of God, by which the heavens, being on fire, will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with burning heat?
You should expect and hasten the coming of the day of God. On that day, the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and the elements will be melted in great heat.
13 And we wait for new heavens and a new earth according to His promise, in which righteousness dwells;
But according to his promise, we are waiting for the new heavens and the new earth, where righteousness will dwell.
14 for this reason, beloved, waiting for these things, be diligent, spotless and unblameable, to be found by Him in peace,
Therefore, beloved, since you expect these things, do your best to be found spotless and blameless before him, in peace.
15 and count the long-suffering of our Lord [as] salvation, according as also our beloved brother Paul—according to the wisdom given to him—wrote to you,
Also, consider the patience of our Lord to be salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom that was given to him.
16 as also in all the letters, speaking in them concerning these things, among which are some things [that are] hard to be understood, which the untaught and unstable twist, as also the other Writings, to their own destruction.
Paul speaks of these things in all his letters, in which there are things that are difficult to understand. Ignorant and unstable men distort these things, as they also do the other scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 You, then, beloved, knowing before, take heed, lest, together with the error of the impious being led away, you may fall from your own steadfastness,
Therefore, beloved, since you know about these things beforehand, guard yourselves so that you are not led astray by the deceit of lawless people and you lose your own faithfulness.
The Great Flood
