2 Peter 3

1Dear friends, this is now the second letter I am writing to you. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere minds by way of reminder,

2so that you will remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the command of the Lord and Savior given through your apostles.

3Above all, understand this: in the last days scoffers will come with their scoffing, following their own desires.

4They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, everything goes on just as it has from the beginning of creation.”

5But they deliberately overlook this: long ago the heavens existed, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,

6and by these the world of that time was flooded with water and destroyed.

7By the same word the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

8But do not overlook this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.

9The Lord is not delaying what he promised, as some consider it delay. Rather, he is being patient with you, because he does not want anyone to perish but wants everyone to come to repentance.

10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day the heavens will pass away with a roar, the elements will burn up and be dissolved, and the earth and the works done on it will be laid bare.

11Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what kind of people ought you to be, living holy and godly lives,

12as you wait for and hasten the coming of the day of God? Because of that day the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the elements will melt in the heat.

13But in keeping with his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

14So, dear friends, since you are waiting for these things, make every effort to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish.

15And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him,

16as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them about these things. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

17Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of lawless people and lose your own secure footing.

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.