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2 Peter 3
Contemporary English Version

The Lord Will Return

3 My dear friends, this is the second letter I have written to encourage you to do some honest thinking. I don't want you to forget 2 what God's prophets said would happen. You must never forget what the holy prophets taught in the past. And you must remember what the apostles told you our Lord and Savior has commanded us to do.

3 (A) But first you must realize that in the last days some people won't think about anything except their own selfish desires. They will make fun of you 4 and say, “Didn't your Lord promise to come back? Yet the first leaders have already died, and the world hasn't changed a bit.”

5 (B) They will say this because they want to forget that long ago the heavens and the earth were made at God's command. The earth came out of water and was made from water. 6 (C) Later it was destroyed by the waters of a mighty flood. 7 But God has commanded the present heavens and earth to remain until the day of judgment. Then they will be set on fire, and ungodly people will be destroyed.

8 (D) Dear friends, don't forget that for the Lord one day is the same as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years is the same as one day. 9 The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.

10 (E) The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe.[a] Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are.[b]

11 Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. 12 You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon.[c] On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. 13 (F) But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to this!

14 My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. 15 Don't forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom God had given him. 16 Paul talks about these same things in all his letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said. They do the same thing with other Scriptures too.

17 My dear friends, you have been warned ahead of time! So don't let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. 18 Let the gift of undeserved grace and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.[d]

Footnotes

  1. 3.10 the whole universe: Probably the sun, moon, and stars, or the elements that everything in the universe is made of.
  2. 3.10 will be seen for what they are: Some manuscripts have “will go up in flames.”
  3. 3.12 and you should try to make it come soon: Or “and you should eagerly desire for that day to come.”
  4. 3.18 Amen: Some manuscripts do not have “Amen.”
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2 Peter 3
Lexham English Bible

The Coming Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends, this is already the second letter I am writing to you, in both of which I am attempting to stir up your sincere mind by a reminder, 2 to remember the words proclaimed beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 above all knowing this, that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, following according to their own desires 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since[a] the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued just as they have been from the beginning of creation.” 5 For when[b] they maintain this, it escapes their notice that the heavens existed long ago and the earth held together out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 by means of which things the world that existed at that time was destroyed by[c] being inundated with water. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

8 Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. 9 The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he[d] does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a rushing noise, and the celestial bodies will be destroyed by[e] being burned up, and the earth and the deeds done on it will be disclosed. 11 Because[f] all these things are being destroyed in this way, what sort of people must you be in holy behavior and godliness, 12 while[g] waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by[h] being burned up and the celestial bodies will melt as they[i] are consumed by heat! 13 But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness resides.

Final Exhortations and Conclusion

14 Therefore, dear friends, because you[j] are waiting for these things, make every effort to be found at peace, spotless and unblemished in him. 15 And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our dear brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom that was given to him, 16 as he does also in all his[k][l] letters, speaking in them about these things, in which there are some things hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable distort to their own destruction, as they also do the rest of the scriptures. 17 Therefore, dear friends, because you[m] know this beforehand, guard yourselves so that you do not lose your own safe position because you[n] have been led away by the error of lawless persons. 18 But 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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 3:4 Literally “from which time”
  2. 2 Peter 3:5 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“maintain”) which is understood as temporal
  3. 2 Peter 3:6 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“being inundated”) which is understood as means
  4. 2 Peter 3:9 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“want”) which is understood as causal
  5. 2 Peter 3:10 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“being burned up”) which is understood as means
  6. 2 Peter 3:11 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are being destroyed”) which is understood as causal
  7. 2 Peter 3:12 Here “while” is supplied as a component of the participle (“waiting for”) which is understood as temporal
  8. 2 Peter 3:12 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“being burned up”) which is understood as means
  9. 2 Peter 3:12 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are consumed by heat”) which is understood as temporal
  10. 2 Peter 3:14 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are waiting for”) which is understood as causal
  11. 2 Peter 3:16 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
  12. 2 Peter 3:16 Some manuscripts do not explicitly state “his”
  13. 2 Peter 3:17 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know beforehand”) which is understood as causal
  14. 2 Peter 3:17 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“have been led away”) which is understood as causal
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2 Peter 3
New International Version

The Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends,(A) this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders(B) to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets(C) and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.(D)

3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days(E) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.(F) 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?(G) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”(H) 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word(I) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.(J) 6 By these waters also the world of that time(K) was deluged and destroyed.(L) 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,(M) being kept for the day of judgment(N) 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.(O) 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,(P) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient(Q) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.(R)

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.(S) The heavens will disappear with a roar;(T) the elements will be destroyed by fire,(U) and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a](V)

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(W) to the day of God and speed its coming.[b](X) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.(Y) 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,(Z) where righteousness dwells.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless(AA) and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience(AB) means salvation,(AC) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.(AD) 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(AE) people distort,(AF) as they do the other Scriptures,(AG) to their own destruction.

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard(AH) so that you may not be carried away by the error(AI) of the lawless(AJ) and fall from your secure position.(AK) 18 But grow in the grace(AL) and knowledge(AM) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.(AN) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.(AO)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 3:10 Some manuscripts be burned up
  2. 2 Peter 3:12 Or as you wait eagerly for the day of God to come
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