Difficult Times Will Come

1But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [a]haters of good, 4treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5holding to a form of [b]godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these. 6For among them are those who [c]slip into households and captivate [d]weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7always learning and never able to come to the [e]knowledge of the truth. 8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, [f]worthless in regard to the faith. 9But they will not make further progress; for their foolishness will be obvious to all, just as was that also of [g]Jannes and Jambres.

10Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, [h]perseverance, 11persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13But evil people and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is [i]inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for [j]rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man or woman of God may be [k]fully capable, equipped for every good work.