| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Beloved, this is now my second letter to you. Both of them are reminders to stir you to wholesome thinking | 1This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. |
| 2by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets and commanded by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. | 2I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles. |
| 3Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. | 3Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. |
| 4“Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.” | 4They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.” |
| 5But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water, | 5They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. |
| 6through which the world of that time perished in the flood. | 6Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. |
| 7And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. | 7And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. |
| 8Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. | 8But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. |
| 9The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. | 9The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. |
| 10But 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 its works will be laid bare. | 10But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. |
| 11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness | 11Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, |
| 12as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat. | 12looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. |
| 13But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. | 13But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness. |
| 14Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight. | 14And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. |
| 15Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him. | 15And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— |
| 16He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. | 16speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. Peter’s Final Words |
| 17Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing. | 17You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. |
| 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. | 18Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. |
|
