The Destruction of the World Is Coming

3 Dear friends, this is now the second letter that I have written to you. I wrote both of them to stir up your sincere mind with a reminder ² for you to remember the words spoken earlier by the holy prophets and the command of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.

³ First, know this: In the last days scoffers will come with their mocking, following their own lusts. ⁴ They will say, “Where is this promised coming of his? For from the time that our fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have from the beginning of the creation.” ⁵ You see, what they are intentionally forgetting is that the heavens came into existence long ago by the word of God and that the earth came together out of the water and between the waters.^{[a] 6} Through these waters the former world perished, when it was flooded with water. ⁷ And now, by that same word, the heavens and earth have been stored up for fire, since they are being kept until the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly. ⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: For the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow to do what he promised, as some consider slowness. Instead, he is patient for your sakes,^[b] not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.

Live a Holy Life

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.^[c] On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will be dissolved as they burn with great heat, and the earth and what was done on it will be burned up.^{[d] 11} Therefore,^[e] since all these things will be destroyed, what kind of people ought you to be, living in holiness and godliness, ¹² as you look forward to and hasten the coming of the day of God? That day will cause the heavens to be set on fire and destroyed, and the elements to melt as they burn with great heat. ¹³ But according to his promise we look forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, as you look forward to these things, make every effort to be found in peace, spotless and blameless in his sight. ¹⁵ Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom that was given to him. ¹⁶ He spoke about these things the same way in all of his letters. There are some matters that are hard to understand in his letters, which the ignorant and unstable distort, as they also do with the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Conclusion

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you do not fall from your own firm position by being led astray through the error of the wicked. ¹⁸ Instead grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and forever. Amen.