Godlessness in the Last Days

3 But understand this, that ^(A)in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be ^(B)lovers of self, ^(C)lovers of money, ^(D)proud, ^(E)arrogant, abusive, ^(F)disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ^3 (G)heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, ^(H)not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, ^(I)swollen with conceit, ^(J)lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but ^(K)denying its power. ^(L)Avoid such people.

¹⁵ And he said to them, “You are those who ^(A)justify yourselves before men, but ^(B)God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men ^(C)is an abomination in the sight of God.

The Messenger of the Lord

^17 (A)You have wearied the Lord with your words. ^(B)But you say, “How have we wearied him?” ^(C)By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, ^(D)“Where is the God of justice?”

^22 (A)“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, ^23 (B)but if ^(C)your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

False Prophets and Teachers

2 But ^(A)false prophets also arose among the people, ^(B)just as there will be false teachers among you, who will ^(C)secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master ^(D)who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

¹⁸ For, ^(A)speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely ^(B)escaping from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them ^(C)freedom, ^(D)but they themselves are slaves^[a] of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.