¹ This second letter I now write to you, beloved; in both of these I arouse your pure mind to remembrance,

² that you may be mindful of the words formerly spoken by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior:

³ knowing this first, that there will come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

⁴ and saying: Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

⁵ For they are willingly ignorant of this, that by the word of God, the heavens of old had their being as also the earth consisting of water and subsisting by water,

⁶ by which things the world that then was, having been overflowed with water, perished.

⁷ But the heavens and the earth that now are, by the same word are kept in store, reserved for fire against the day of judgment, and perdition of ungodly men.

⁸ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

⁹ The Lord does not delay concerning his promise, as some men count delay, but he is long-suffering toward us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth, and the works that are on it, shall be burned up.

¹¹ Seeing, then, that all these things shall be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in all holy behavior, and godliness,

¹² looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, because of which coming the heavens shall dis solve in fire, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.

¹³ But we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.

¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you expect such things, earnestly strive, by being spotless and blameless, to be found by him in peace:

¹⁵ and count the long-suffering of our Lord, salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, has written to you;

¹⁶ as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.

¹⁷ Do you, therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware, lest, being led away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness.

¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.