2 Peter 3:3-18

New King James Version

³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, ^(A)walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ 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 ^(B)creation.” ⁵ For this they willfully forget: that ^(C)by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth ^(D)standing out of water and in the water, ^6 (E)by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷ But ^(F)the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for ^(G)fire until the day of judgment and ^[a]perdition of ungodly men.

⁸ But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and ^(H)a thousand years as one day. ^9 (I)The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but ^(J)is longsuffering toward ^[b]us, ^(K)not willing that any should perish but ^(L)that all should come to repentance.

The Day of the Lord

¹⁰ But ^(M)the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which ^(N)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 ^[c]burned up. ¹¹ Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be ^(O)in holy conduct and godliness, ^12 (P)looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will ^(Q)be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will ^(R)melt with fervent heat? ¹³ Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for ^(S)new heavens and a ^(T)new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Be Steadfast

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent ^(U)to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that ^(V)the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his ^(W)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 they do also the ^(X)rest of the Scriptures.

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, ^(Y)since you know this beforehand, ^(Z)beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; ^18 (AA)but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

^(AB)To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.