1 | But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. |
2 | For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, |
3 | inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, |
4 | treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, |
5 | holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people. |
6 | For among them are those who make their way into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and swayed by various impulses, |
7 | who will listen to anybody and can never arrive at a knowledge of the truth. |
8 | As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith; |
9 | but they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. |
10 | Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, |
11 | my persecutions, my sufferings, what befell me at Antioch, at Ico'nium, and at Lystra, what persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. |
12 | Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, |
13 | while evil men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. |
14 | But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it |
15 | and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. |
16 | All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, |
17 | that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. |