2 Peter 3
The Day of the Lord Will Come
1This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them aI am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 bthat you should remember the predictions of cthe holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come din the last days with scoffing, efollowing their own sinful desires. 4 fThey will say, “Where is the promise of ghis coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth hwas formed out of water and through water iby the word of God, 6and that by means of these the world that then existed jwas deluged with water and kperished. 7But by the same word lthe heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and mdestruction of the ungodly. 8But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and na thousand years as one day. 9 oThe Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise pas some count slowness, but qis patient toward you, ▼▼Some manuscripts on your account
snot wishing that any should perish, but tthat all should reach repentance. 10But uthe day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then vthe heavens will pass away with a roar, and wthe heavenly bodies ▼▼Or elements; also verse 12
will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. ▼▼Greek found; some manuscripts will be burned up
11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, zwhat sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 aawaiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and abthe heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13But according to his promise we are waiting for acnew heavens and a new earth adin which righteousness dwells. Final Words
14 aeTherefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him afwithout spot or agblemish, and ahat peace. 15And count aithe patience of our Lord as salvation, just as ajour beloved brother Paul also wrote to you akaccording to the wisdom given him, 16as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. alThere are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, amas they do the other Scriptures. 17You therefore, beloved, anknowing this beforehand, aotake care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18But apgrow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. aqTo him be the glory both now and to the day of areternity. Amen.
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