The World Hates the Disciples

¹⁸ “If the world hates you,^(A) keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you^(B) out of the world. That is why the world hates you.^{(C) 20} Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^[a](D) If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.^(E) If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name,^(F) for they do not know the one who sent me.^(G)

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

¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,^{(A) 13} while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse,^(B) deceiving and being deceived.^(C)

³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.^(A) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.^{(B) 4} They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.^(C)