²² Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love^(A) and peace, along with those who call on the Lord^(B) out of a pure heart.^{(C) 23} Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.^{(D) 24} And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.^{(E) 25} Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,^{(F) 26} and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil,^(G) who has taken them captive to do his will.

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.^{(H) 2} People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,^(I) boastful, proud,^(J) abusive,^(K) disobedient to their parents,^(L) ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous,^(M) rash, conceited,^(N) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness^(O) but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.^(P)

⁶ They are the kind who worm their way^(Q) into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.^{(R) 8} Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses,^(S) so also these teachers oppose^(T) the truth. They are men of depraved minds,^(U) who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men,^(V) their folly will be clear to everyone.