1 ه َذِهِ هِيَ رِسالَتِي الثّانِيَةُ إلَيْكُمْ أيُّها الأحِبّاءُ. وَقَدْ حاوَلْتُ فِيْها أنْ أُنَبِّهَ عُقُولِكُمُ النَّقِيَّةَ بِتَذكِيْرِكُمْ بِهَذِهِ الأُمُورِ.

This, a second letter, beloved, I already write to you, in which I stir up, in the way of putting you in remembrance, your pure mind,

2 أ ُرِيْدُكُمْ أنْ تَتَذَكَّرُوا كَلامَ أنبِياءِ اللهِ قَدِيْماً، وَوَصِيَّةَ رَبِّنا وَمُخَلِّصِنا الَّتِي وَصَلَتْكُمْ بِواسِطَةِ رُسُلِكُمْ.

to be mindful of the words spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of the Lord and Saviour by your apostles;

3 أ وَّلاً يَنْبَغي أنْ تَفهَمُوا أنَّهُ سَيَأْتِي فِي الأيّامِ الأخِيْرَةِ أُناسٌ مُستَهزِئُونَ تَقُودُهُمْ شَهَواتُهُمْ،

knowing this first, that there shall come at close of the days mockers with mocking, walking according to their own lusts,

4 و َسَيَقُولُونَ: «ما الَّذِي حَدَثَ لِوَعْدِ مَجِيْءِ المَسِيْحِ ثانِيَةً؟ لِأنَّهُ مُنذُ أنْ ماتَ آباؤُنا وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ مُستَمِرٌّ عَلَى حالِهِ، كَما كانَ مُنْذُ بَدْءِ الخَلِيْقَةِ.»

and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for from the time the fathers fell asleep all things remain thus from beginning of creation.

5 و َهُمْ بِذَلِكَ يَتَناسُونَ أنَّ السَّماواتِ وَالأرْضَ وُجِدَتْ مُنذُ القَدِيْمِ، وَأنَّ الأرْضَ تَشَكَّلَتْ بِكَلِمَةِ اللهِ مِنَ الماءِ وَبِالماءِ.

For this is hidden from them through their own wilfulness, that heavens were of old, and an earth, having its subsistence out of water and in water, by the word of God,

6 ث ُمَّ غُمِرَ العالَمُ عِندَئِذٍ وَدُمِّرَ بِالماءِ.

through which the then world, deluged with water, perished.

7 ل َكِنَّ السَّماواتِ وَالأرْضَ مَحفُوظَةٌ الآنَ أيضاً بِكَلِمَةِ اللهِ، إلَىْ أنْ يَحينَ وَقْتُ تَدْميرِها بِالنّارِ فِيْ يَوْمِ الدَّيْنُونَةِ، يَومِ هَلاكِ الأشرارِ.

But the present heavens and the earth by his word are laid up in store, kept for fire unto a day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

8 ل َكِنْ لا يَغِبْ عَنْ بالِكُمْ هَذا الأمْرُ أيُّها الأحِبّاءُ: أنَّ يَوماً واحِداً عِندَ الرَّبِّ كَألفِ سَنَةٍ، وَأنَّ ألفَ سَنَةٍ كَيَوْمٍ.

But let not this one thing be hidden from you, beloved, that one day with Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 ف َالرَّبٌّ لا يُؤَخِّرُ تَنفِيْذَ وَعدِهِ، كَما يَظُنُّ بَعضُهُمْ، لَكِنَّهُ يَتَأنَّى عَلَيْنا وَلا يُرِيْدُ لِأحَدٍ أنْ يَهلِكَ، بَلْ يُريدُ لِجَمِيعِ النّاسِ أنْ يَتوبوا.

Lord does not delay his promise, as some account of delay, but is longsuffering towards you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 ل َكِنَّ يَوْمَ الرَّبِّ سَيَأْتِي كَلِصٍّ. وَسَتَنصَهِرُ الأجرامُ السَّماوِيَّةُ بِالنّارِ، ثُمَّ سَتَنكَشِفُ الأرْضُ وَكُلُّ ما عَلَيْها.

But the day of Lord will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a rushing noise, and elements, burning with heat, shall be dissolved, and earth and the works in it shall be burnt up.

11 ف َما دامَتْ هَذِهِ الأشياءُ سَتُدَمَّرُ هَكَذا، أيُّ نَوْعٍ مِنَ النّاسِ يَنبَغي أنْ تَكُونُوا. يَنبَغي أنْ تَعِيْشُوا حَياةَ قَداسَةٍ وَخِدمَةٍ للهِ،

All these things then being to be dissolved, what ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness,

12 ب َينَما تَنتَظِرونَ وَتَطلُبونَ سُرعَةَ مَجِيْءِ يَوْمِ الرَّبِّ الَّذِي تَنحَلُّ فِيْهِ السَّماواتُ، وَتَنصَهِرُ الأجرامُ السَّماوِيَّةُ.

waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, by reason of which heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and elements, burning with heat, shall melt?

13 ل َكِنَّنا حَسَبَ وَعْدِ اللهِ نَنتَظِرُ بِلَهفَةٍ سَماواتٍ جَدِيْدَةً وَأرْضاً جَدِيْدَةً يَسكُنُها البرُّ.

But, according to his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.

14 ف َبِما أنَّكُمْ تَتَلَهَّفُونَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ، ابْذُلُوا كُلَّ جَهْدٍ لِكَي تَكُونُوا طاهِرِيْنَ بِلا عَيْبٍ، وَفِي سَلامٍ أمامَهُ،

Wherefore, beloved, as ye wait for these things, be diligent to be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless;

15 م ُتَذَّكِّرينَ أنَّ تَمَهُلَّ اللهِ عَلَينا، هُوَ الَّذي قادَ إلَىْ خَلاصِنا. تَماماً كَما كَتَبَ إلَيْكُمْ أخُونا الحَبِيْبُ بُولُسُ حَسَبَ الحِكْمَةِ المُعطاةِ لَهُ مِنَ اللهِ.

and account the longsuffering of our Lord salvation; according as our beloved brother Paul also has written to you according to the wisdom given to him,

16 ف َهُوَ يَتَحَدَّثُ عَنْ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ فِي كُلِّ رَسائِلِهِ الَّتي تَحوِي بَعْضَ التَّعاليمِ الَّتيْ يَصعُبُ فَهْمُها، وَيُشَوِّهُ غَيْرُ المُتَعَلِّمِيْنَ وَغَيْرُ الثّابِتِيْنَ مَعناها. وَهُمْ يَفعَلُونَ ذَلِكَ مَعَ بَقيَّةِ الكُتُبِ أيضاً جالبِينَ الدَّمارَ عَلَى أنفُسِهِمْ.

as also in all epistles, speaking in them of these things; among which some things are hard to be understood, which the untaught and ill-established wrest, as also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.

17 ف َبِما أنَّكُمْ تَعرِفُونَ هَذِهِ الأُمُورَ أيُّها الأحِبّاءُ، احْذَروا مِنْ أنْ تَنقادُوا بِضَلالاتِ الفاجِرِيْنَ. وَانتَبِهُوا لِئَلّا تَتَزَحزَحُوا عَنْ مَوقِفِكُمُ الثّابِتِ،

Ye therefore, beloved, knowing things before, take care lest, being led away along with the error of the wicked, ye should fall from your own stedfastness:

18 ب َلِ انمُوا فِي نِعمَةِ رَبِّنا وَمُخَلِّصِنا يَسُوعَ المَسِيْحِ، وَفِي مَعْرِفَتِهِ. لَهُ المَجدُ الآنَ وَإلَىْ الأبَدِ! آمِيْن.

but grow in grace, and in knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him glory both now and to day of eternity. Amen.