1Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in bothof which ⚓I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2that you may be mindful of the words ⚓which were spoken before by the holy prophets, ⚓and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, ⚓walking according to their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as theywere from the beginning of ⚓creation.” 5For this they willfully forget: that ⚓by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth ⚓standing out of water and in the water, 6⚓by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7But ⚓the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for ⚓fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is 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 longsuffering toward us, ⚓not willing that any should perish but ⚓that all should come to repentance.
The Day of the Lord
10But ⚓the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which ⚓the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner ofpersons ought you to be ⚓in holy conduct and godliness, 12⚓looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will ⚓be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will ⚓melt with fervent heat? 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for ⚓new heavens and a ⚓new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Be Steadfast
14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent ⚓to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15and consider that⚓the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16as also in all his ⚓epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as theydo also the ⚓rest of the Scriptures. 17You therefore, beloved, ⚓since you know this beforehand, ⚓beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18⚓but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ⚓To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.