This is now, ^abeloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am ^bstirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should ^aremember the words spoken beforehand by ^bthe holy prophets and ^cthe commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles, 3 ^aknowing this first of all, that ^bin the last days ^cmockers will come with their mocking, ^dfollowing after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “^aWhere is the promise of His ^bcoming? For since the fathers ^cfell asleep, all continues just as it was ^dfrom the beginning of creation.” 5 For ¹when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that ^aby the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was ^bformed out of water and by water, 6 through which ^athe world at that time was ^bdestroyed, being deluged with water. 7 But by His word ^athe present heavens and earth are being reserved for ^bfire, being kept for ^cthe day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, ^abeloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and ^ba thousand years like one day. 9 ^aThe Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but ^bis patient toward you, ^cnot willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But ^athe day of the Lord ^bwill come like a thief, in which ^cthe heavens ^dwill pass away with a roar and the ^eelements will be destroyed with intense heat, and ^fthe earth and ¹its works will be ²found out.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 ^alooking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which ^bthe heavens burning will be destroyed, and the ^celements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His ^apromise we are looking for ^bNEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, ^cin which righteousness dwells.

14 ^aTherefore, ^bbeloved, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be ^cfound by Him in peace, ^dspotless and blameless, 15 and consider the ^apatience of our Lord as salvation, just as also ^bour beloved brother Paul, ^caccording to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of ^athese things, ^bin which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and ^cunstable distort, as they do also ^dthe rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, ^abeloved, knowing this beforehand, ^bbe on your guard lest you, having been carried away by ^cthe error of ^dunprincipled men, ^efall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and ^aknowledge of our ^bLord and Savior Jesus Christ. ^cTo Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.