2 Peter 3
The Day of the Lord
“Dear
friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them
as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.
2 I want
you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the
command given by OUR
LORD AND SAVIOR through your apostles.
3 Above
all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come,
scoffing and following their own evil desires.
4 They
will say, ‘Where is this ‘coming’ HE promised? Ever since our ancestors
died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.’
5 But they
deliberately forget that long ago by GOD’S WORD the heavens came into being
and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
6 By these
waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.
7 By THE SAME WORD the
present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of
judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do
not forget this one thing, dear friends: With THE LORD a day is like a thousand years, and a
thousand years are like a day.
9 THE LORD IS NOT SLOW IN KEEPING HIS
PROMISE. INSTEAD HE IS PATIENT WITH YOU, NOT WANTING ANYONE TO PERISH, BUT
EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE.
10 But the
day of THE LORD
will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the
elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in
it will be laid bare.
11 Since
everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives
12 as you
look forward to the day of GOD and speed its coming. That day will bring about the
destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
13 But in
keeping with HIS promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new
earth, where RIGHTEOUSNESS
dwells.
14 So then,
dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be
found spotless, blameless and at peace with HIM.
15 Bear in
mind that OUR LORD’S
PATIENCE MEANS SALVATION, just as our dear brother Paul also
wrote you with the wisdom that GOD gave him.
16 He
writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His
letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and
unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to
their own destruction.
17 Therefore,
dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you
may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from
your secure position.
18 But grow
in THE GRACE AND
KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.
TO
HIM BE GLORY BOTH NOW AND FOREVER!
Amen.”
