New Testament · 2 Peter

2 Peter 3

The Coming Judgment

(Genesis 7:1–24; Jude 1:17–23)

1This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved; in both of them I am stirring up your sincere thought^a by way of reminder, 2that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.^b

3Knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days, following their own desires^c 4and saying, "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."^d

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^e of God, 6and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7But by His word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment^f and destruction of the ungodly.

The Day of the Lord

(Zephaniah 1:7–18; Malachi 4:1–6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11)

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 slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward us, not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance^g.

10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night; on that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works done on it will be burned up.^h

11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godlinessⁱ, 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 elements will melt as they burn? 13But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness^j dwells.

Final Exhortations

14Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these things, be diligent to be found by Him without spot or blemish, and at peace^k.

15And count the patience of our Lord as Salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom^l given him, 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.^m

17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of the lawlessⁿ ones and lose your own stability. 18But grow in the grace^o and knowledge^p of our Lord and Savior Yeshua Messiah; to Him be the glory^q both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.