2 Peter 3
1 This, already, beloved, is the second letter I am writing unto you; and, in these letters, I am stirring up—by way of calling to remembrance—your uncorrupted mind,
This, dear friends, is my second letter to you. In both of them I have tried, by appealing to your remembrance, to arouse your better feelings.
2 To remember the fore-spoken declarations made by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour, by your apostles.
I want you to recall what was foretold by the holy prophets, as well as the command of our Lord and Savior given to you through your apostles.
3 Of this, first, taking note—that there will come, in the last of the days, with scoffing, scoffers, after their own covetings, going on,
First be assured of this, that, as the age draws to an end, scoffers, led by their own passions,
4 and saying—Where is the promise of his presence? For, since the fathers fell asleep, all things, thus remain, from the beginning of creation.
will come and ask scoffingly – ‘Where is his promised coming? Ever since our ancestors passed to their rest, everything remains just as it was when the world was first created!’
5 For this they, willfully, forget—that there were, heavens, from of old, and, an earth, on account of water and by means of water, compacted, by God’s word, —
For they willfully shut their eyes to the fact that long ago the heavens existed; and the earth, also – formed out of water and by the action of water, by the fiat of God;
6 By which means, the world that then was, with water being flooded, perished;
and that by the same means the world which then existed was destroyed in a deluge of water.
7 While, the heavens and the earth that now are, by the same word, have been stored with fire, being kept unto the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly men.
But the present heavens and earth, by the same fiat, have been reserved for fire, and are being kept for the day of the judgment and destruction of the godless.
8 But, this one thing, forget not, beloved, —that, one day, with the Lord, is as a thousand years, and, a thousand years, as one day.
But you, dear friends, must never shut your eyes to the fact that, to the Lord, one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord is, not slack, concerning his promise, as some count, slackness; but is long-suffering with regard to you, not being minded that any should perish, but that, all, unto repentance, should come.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness; but he is forbearing with you, as it is not his will that any of you should perish, but that all should be brought to repentance.
10 Howbeit the day of the Lord will be here, as a thief, —in which, the heavens, with a rushing noise, will pass away, while, elements, becoming intensely hot, will be dissolved, and, earth, and the works therein, will be discovered.
The day of the Lord will come like a thief; and on that day the heavens will pass away with a crash, the elements will be burnt up and dissolved, and the earth and all that is in it will be disclosed.
11 Seeing that all these things are thus to be dissolved, what manner of persons, ought [ye] all the while to be, in holy ways of behaviour and acts of godliness, —
Now, since all these things are in the process of dissolution, think what you yourselves ought to be – what holy and pious lives you ought to lead,
12 Expecting and hastening the presence of the day of God, by reason of which, heavens, being on fire, will be dissolved, and, elements, becoming intensely hot, are to be melted;
while you wait for the coming of the day of God and strive to make it come soon. At its coming the heavens will be dissolved in fire, and the elements melted by heat,
13 But, new heavens, and a new earth, according to his promise, are we expecting, wherein, righteousness, is to dwell.
but we look for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will have its home, in fulfillment of the promise of God.
14 Wherefore, beloved, these things, expecting—give diligence, unspotted and unblemished, by him, to be found, in peace;
Therefore, dear friends, in expectation of these things, make every effort to be found by him spotless, blameless, and at peace.
15 And account, our Lord’s long suffering, [to be] salvation: —even as, our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you;
Regard our Lord’s forbearance as your one hope of salvation. This is what our dear friend Paul wrote to you, with the wisdom that God gave him.
16 As also, in all letters, speaking in them concerning these things, —in which [letters] are some things, hard to be understood, which, the uninstructed and unstable, wrest, —as also the other scriptures, —unto their own destruction.
It is the same in all his letters, when he speaks in them about these subjects. There are some things in them difficult to understand, which untaught and weak people distort, just as they do all other writings, to their own ruin.
17 Ye, therefore, beloved, taking note beforehand, be on your guard, lest, with the error of the impious being led away, ye fall from your own steadfastness;
You must, therefore, dear friends, now that you know this beforehand, be on your guard against being led away by the errors of reckless people, and so lapsing from your present steadfastness;
The World is Destroyed by Water
