| New King James Version | English Standard Version |
| 1Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), | 1This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind 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, | 2that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, |
| 3knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, | 3knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. |
| 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” | 4They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were 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, | 5For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, |
| 6by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. | 6and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. |
| 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. | 7But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. |
| 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. | 8But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. |
| 9The 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. | 9The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. |
| 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. | 10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. |
| 11Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, | 11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, |
| 12looking 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? | 12waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! |
| 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. | 13But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. |
| 14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; | 14Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. |
| 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, | 15And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, |
| 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 they do also the rest of the Scriptures. | 16as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other 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; | 17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. |
| 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. | 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. |
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