²⁰ Now in ^(A)a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, ^(B)some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. ²¹ Therefore, ^(C)if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,^[a] he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ^(D)ready for every good work.

²² So ^(E)flee ^(F)youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with ^(G)those who call on the Lord ^(H)from a pure heart. ²³ Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant ^(I)controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And ^(J)the Lord's servant^[b] must not be quarrelsome but ^(K)kind to everyone, ^(L)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents ^(M)with gentleness. God ^(N)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(O)leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from ^(P)the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Godlessness in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that ^(Q)in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be ^(R)lovers of self, ^(S)lovers of money, ^(T)proud, ^(U)arrogant, abusive, ^(V)disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ^3 (W)heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, ^(X)not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, ^(Y)swollen with conceit, ^(Z)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but ^(AA)denying its power. ^(AB)Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are ^(AC)those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to ^(AD)arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as ^(AE)Jannes and Jambres ^(AF)opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, ^(AG)men corrupted in mind and ^(AH)disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, ^(AI)as was that of those two men.