3 Let me tell you this. During the last days of this world, there will be times of great trouble. 2 People will love only themselves, and they will want lots of money for themselves. They will be proud and they will say how great they are. They will insult other people. They will not obey their parents. They will not thank anyone who helps them. They will not respect anything that is good. 3 They will not be kind to other people, but they will like to quarrel. They will tell lies to hurt other people. They will be unable to control themselves properly. They will be cruel and they will hate anything that is good. 4 People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things. They will boast that they are very important. They will not love God, but instead they will only want to enjoy themselves. 5 Those people will seem to be serving God. But really they refuse to accept God's power to help them. You must stay away from people like that.
6 Among those people, there are some men who find a way into people's homes. They get power over silly women who feel very guilty about their sins. Those women want to do wrong things and they cannot stop themselves. 7 They are always trying to learn new things, but they can never really understand God's true message. 8 These are people who speak against God's true message, in the same way that Jannes and Jambres spoke against Moses. [ a ] Their minds have become confused. The way that they serve God is false. 9 But they will not continue to do many more bad things. Everyone will see clearly that they are fools. That is what happened to Jannes and Jambres.
10 But you, Timothy, have heard my message and you know it well. You also know the way in which I have lived. You know my purpose in life. You know how I trust God. You know how patient I have been. You know my love for God and for other people. You know that I have been strong during troubles. 11 You also know what happened to me in the cities called Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. People caused me to have a lot of trouble and pain in those places. But I was patient and brave in those bad troubles! And the Lord kept me safe in all those dangerous times. [ b ]
12 It is not only me. Every Christian who wants to live in a way that pleases God will have trouble from other people. 13 Bad people like that will become even worse. Some of them will teach a false message and people will believe their lies. Those false teachers even believe their own lies!
14 But you must continue to believe the things that you have learned. You know that those things are true. You know the teachers who taught you those things. 15 Even when you were a child, you already knew the message of the Bible. The Bible has taught you how you can be truly wise. You understand that God saves you because you believe in Christ Jesus. 16 Everything that is written in the Bible comes from God's Spirit. It helps us in many ways. The Bible teaches us what is true. It warns us when we are doing wrong things. It shows us what is right. It teaches us how to live good lives. [ c ] 17 As a result, people who want to serve God can know how to live properly. They will be people who are ready to do all kinds of good things.
3 Remember this: There are some terrible times coming in the last days. 2 People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud and boast about themselves. They will abuse others with insults. They will not obey their parents. They will be ungrateful and against all that is pleasing to God. 3 They will have no love for others and will refuse to forgive anyone. They will talk about others to hurt them and will have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 People will turn against their friends. They will do foolish things without thinking and will be so proud of themselves. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. 5 They will go on pretending to be devoted to God, but they will refuse to let that “devotion” change the way they live. Stay away from these people!
6 Some of them go into homes and get control over weak women, whose lives are full of sin—women who are led into sin by all the things they want. 7 These women always want to learn something new, but they are never able to fully understand the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres [ a ] fought against Moses, these people fight against the truth. Their thinking has been confused. The faith they have and teach is worthless. 9 But they will not succeed in what they are trying to do. Everyone will see how foolish they are. That is what happened to Jannes and Jambres.
10 But you know all about me. You know what I teach and the way I live. You know my goal in life. You know my faith, my patience, and my love. You know that I never stop trying. 11 You know about my persecutions and my sufferings. You know all the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra—the persecution I suffered in those places. But the Lord saved me from all of it. 12 Everyone who wants to live showing true devotion to God in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 13 People who are evil and cheat others will become worse and worse. They will fool others, but they will also be fooling themselves.
14 But you should continue following the teaching you learned. You know it is true, because you know you can trust those who taught you. 15 You have known the Holy Scriptures [ b ] since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. 17 Using the Scriptures, those who serve God will be prepared and will have everything they need to do every good work.
3 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was.
10 But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience,
11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
3 But realize this, that ( A ) in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For people will be ( B ) lovers of self, ( C ) lovers of money, ( D ) boastful, ( E ) arrogant, ( F ) slanderers, ( G ) disobedient to parents, ( H ) ungrateful, ( I ) unholy, 3 ( J ) unloving, irreconcilable, ( K ) malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [ a ] ( L ) haters of good, 4 ( M ) treacherous, ( N ) reckless, ( O ) conceited, ( P ) lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of [ b ] ( Q ) godliness although they have ( R ) denied its power; ( S ) avoid such people as these. 6 For among them are those who [ c ] ( T ) slip into households and captivate [ d ] ( U ) weak women weighed down with sins, led on by ( V ) various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to ( W ) come to the [ e ] knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as ( X ) Jannes and Jambres ( Y ) opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, ( Z ) men of depraved mind, [ f ] worthless in regard to the faith. 9 But they will not make further progress; for their ( AA ) foolishness will be obvious to all, just ( AB ) as was that also of [ g ] Jannes and Jambres.
10 Now you ( AC ) followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, ( AD ) love, [ h ] perseverance, 11 ( AE ) persecutions, and ( AF ) sufferings, such as happened to me at ( AG ) Antioch, at ( AH ) Iconium, and at ( AI ) Lystra; what ( AJ ) persecutions I endured, and out of them all ( AK ) the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who want to live in a godly way in Christ Jesus ( AL ) will be persecuted. 13 But evil people and impostors ( AM ) will proceed from bad to worse, ( AN ) deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however, ( AO ) continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them , 15 and that ( AP ) from childhood you have known ( AQ ) the sacred writings which are able to ( AR ) give you the wisdom that leads to ( AS ) salvation through faith which is in ( AT ) Christ Jesus. 16 ( AU ) All Scripture is [ i ] inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for [ j ] rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that ( AV ) the man or woman of God may be [ k ] fully capable, ( AW ) equipped for every good work.
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 )
6 They are the kind who worm their way ( J ) into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ( K ) 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, ( L ) so also these teachers oppose ( M ) the truth. They are men of depraved minds, ( N ) who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, ( O ) their folly will be clear to everyone.
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, ( P ) my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, ( Q ) Iconium ( R ) and Lystra, ( S ) the persecutions I endured. ( T ) Yet the Lord rescued ( U ) me from all of them. ( V ) 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ( W ) 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, ( X ) deceiving and being deceived. ( Y ) 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ( Z ) 15 and how from infancy ( AA ) you have known the Holy Scriptures, ( AB ) which are able to make you wise ( AC ) for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed ( AD ) and is useful for teaching, ( AE ) rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ( AF ) 17 so that the servant of God [ a ] ( AG ) may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. ( AH )
