Christ's second coming -- The world shall be destroyed; exhorting them, from the expectation thereof, to all holiness of life.

¹⁾This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance;

²⁾That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior;

³⁾Knowing this first, that in the last days there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts.

⁴⁾Denying the Lord Jesus Christ, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things must continue as they are, and have continued as they are from the beginning of the creation.

⁵⁾For this they willingly are ignorant of, that of old the heavens, and the earth standing in the water and out of the water, were created by the word of God;

⁶⁾And by the word of God, the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished;

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

⁸⁾But concerning the coming of the Lord, beloved, I would not have you ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

⁹⁾The Lord is not slack concerning his promise and coming, as some men count slackness; but long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

¹⁰⁾But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall shake, and the earth also shall tremble, and the mountains shall melt, and pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be filled with fervent heat; the earth also shall be filled, and the corruptible works which are therein shall be burned up.

¹¹⁾If then all these things shall be destroyed, what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conduct and godliness,

¹²⁾Looking unto, and preparing for the day of the coming of the Lord wherein the corruptible things of the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the mountains shall melt with fervent heat?

¹³⁾Nevertheless, if we shall endure, we shall be kept according to his promise. And we look for a new heavens, and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

¹⁴⁾Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless;

¹⁵⁾And account, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given unto him, hath written unto you, the long-suffering and waiting of our Lord, for salvation.

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

¹⁷⁾Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know before the things which are coming, beware lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

¹⁸⁾But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.