No One Knows the Day or Hour

³⁶ “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels of heaven nor the Son^[a] —except the Father alone.^{(A) 37} As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. ³⁸ For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark.^{(B) 39} They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. This is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be. ⁴⁰ Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding grain with a hand mill; one will be taken and one left.^{(C) 42} Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day^[b] your Lord is coming.^{(D) 43} But know this: If the homeowner had known what time^[c] the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into.^{(E) 44} This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.^(F)

Faithful Service to Christ

⁴⁵ “Who then is a faithful and wise servant,^(G) whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give them food at the proper time?^{(H) 46} Blessed is that servant whom the master finds doing his job when he comes.^{(I) 47} Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that wicked servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delayed,’ ⁴⁹ and starts to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with drunkards,^{(J) 50} that servant’s master will come on a day he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know. ⁵¹ He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends, this is now the second letter^(A) I have written to you; in both letters, I want to stir up your sincere^(B) understanding by way of reminder, ² so that you recall the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles. ³ Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days^(C) scoffing and following their own evil desires, ⁴ saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised?^(D) Ever since our ancestors fell asleep,^(E) all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” ⁵ They deliberately overlook this: By the word of God^(F) the heavens came into being long ago and the earth was brought about from water and through water.^{(G) 6} Through these the world of that time perished when it was flooded.^{(H) 7} By the same word,^(I) the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept for the day of judgment^(J) and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ Dear friends, don’t overlook this one fact: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.^{(K) 9} The Lord does not delay his promise,^(L) as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any^(M) to perish^(N) but all to come to repentance.^(O)

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord^(P) will come like a thief;^[a](Q) on that day the heavens will pass away^(R) with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved,^(S) and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed.^{[b][c] 11} Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness ¹² as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming.^[d](T) Because of that day, the heavens will be dissolved with fire and the elements will melt with heat. ¹³ But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth,^(U) where righteousness dwells.^(V)

Conclusion

¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.^{(W) 15} Also, regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him.^{(X) 16} He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction,^(Y) as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard,^(Z) so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stable position. ¹⁸ But grow in the grace and knowledge^(AA) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.^[e](AB)