1 Difficult Times Will Come But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, 3:3 Or devilish malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of 3:5Or religion godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these.
6 For among them are those who 3:6 Or creep enter into households and take captive 3:6 Or idle weak women weighed down with sins, being led on by various desires,
7 always learning and never able to come to the 3:7Or recognition full knowledge of the truth.
8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so thesemenalso oppose the truth, men of depraved mind, disqualified in regard to the faith.
9 But they will not make further progress, for their folly will be obvious to all, just as theirs was also.
10 But you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, 3:10Or steadfastness perseverance,
11 persecutions,andsufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium,andat Lystra. What persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!
12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
13 But evil men and impostors will proceedfrom badto worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you, continue in the things you learned and became convinced of, knowing from whom you learnedthem,
15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is 3:16 Or inspired by God God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for 3:16 Lit training which is in training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be equipped, having been thoroughly equipped for every good work.