2 Peter 3
1 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,
This second letter I now write to you, beloved; in both of these I arouse your pure mind to remembrance,
2 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.
that you may be mindful of the words formerly spoken by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior:
3 Know this first, that mockers will come in the last days. They will mock and proceed according to their own desires.
knowing this first, that there will come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 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.”
and saying: Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 They willfully forget that the heavens and the earth came to exist out of water and through water, long ago, by God's command,
For they are willingly ignorant of this, that by the word of God, the heavens of old had their being as also the earth consisting of water and subsisting by water,
6 and that through these things, the world of that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
by which things the world that then was, having been overflowed with water, perished.
7 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.
But the heavens and the earth that now are, by the same word are kept in store, reserved for fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men.
8 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.
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 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.
The Lord does not delay concerning his promise, as some men count delay, but he is long-suffering toward us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 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.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth, and the works that are on it, shall be burned up.
11 Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? You should live holy and godly lives.
Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in all holy behavior, and godliness,
12 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.
looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, because of which coming the heavens shall dis solve in fire, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.
13 But according to his promise, we are waiting for the new heavens and the new earth, where righteousness will dwell.
But we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.
14 Therefore, beloved, since you expect these things, do your best to be found spotless and blameless before him, in peace.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you expect such things, earnestly strive, by being spotless and blameless, to be found by him in peace:
15 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.
and count the long-suffering of our Lord, salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, has written to you;
16 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.
as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 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.
Do you, therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware, lest, being led away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness.
The World is Destroyed by Water
