The Last Days

3 But know this: In the last days there will be terrible times. ² For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemous, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ unloving, not able to reconcile with others, slanderous, without self-control, savage, haters of what is good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, puffed up with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to an outward form of godliness but denying its power. Turn away from such people. ⁶ For some of them are people who worm their way into households and gain control over vulnerable women who are overwhelmed with sins, led astray by various evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these people oppose the truth. They are people of depraved minds, disqualified in regard to the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, because their foolishness will be quite clear to everyone, just as it was in the case of Jannes and Jambres.

¹⁰ But you have faithfully followed my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfast endurance, ¹¹ my persecutions, my sufferings—the kind that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, the kind of persecutions I endured—and the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹² Indeed, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

¹⁴ As for you, continue in the things you have learned and about which you have become convinced. You know from whom^[a] you learned them ¹⁵ and that from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God breathed^[b] and is useful for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the man of God may be complete, well equipped for every good work.