| New King James Version | International 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), | 1Dear friends, this is now the second of two letters I am writing to you, in which I have been trying to stimulate your pure minds by reminding you |
| 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, | 2to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the commandment of our Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles. |
| 3knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, | 3First of all you must understand this: In the last days mockers will come and, following their own desires, will ridicule us |
| 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.” | 4by saying, "What happened to the Messiah's promise to return? Ever since our ancestors died, everything continues as it did 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, | 5But they deliberately ignore the fact that long ago the heavens existed and the earth was formed by God's word out of water and with water, |
| 6by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. | 6by which the world at that time was deluged with water and destroyed. |
| 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. | 7Now by that same word, the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire and are being kept for the day when ungodly people will be judged and destroyed. |
| 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. | 8Don't forget this fact, dear friends: With the Lord a single day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a single 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 about his promise, as some people understand slowness, but is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to repent. |
| 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. On that day the heavens will disappear with a roaring sound, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything 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 everything will be destroyed in this way, think of the kind of holy and godly people you ought to be |
| 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? | 12as you look forward to and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved and the elements will melt with fire. |
| 13Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. | 13But in keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home. |
| 14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; | 14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to have the Lord find you at peace and without spot or fault. |
| 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, | 15Think of our Lord's patience as facilitating salvation, just as our dear 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. | 16He speaks about this subject in all his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, leading to their own destruction, as they do the rest of the 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; | 17And so, dear friends, since you already know these things, continuously be on your guard not to be carried away by the deception of lawless people. Otherwise, you may fall from your secure position. |
| 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. | 18Instead, continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the Messiah. Glory belongs to him both now and on that eternal day! Amen. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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