1 Y ou must understand that in the last days there will come times of much trouble.

But understand this, that in the last days will come (set in) perilous times of great stress and trouble.

2 P eople will love themselves and money. They will have pride and tell of all the things they have done. They will speak against God. Children and young people will not obey their parents. People will not be thankful and they will not be holy.

For people will be lovers of self and self-centered, lovers of money and aroused by an inordinate desire for wealth, proud and arrogant and contemptuous boasters. They will be abusive (blasphemous, scoffing), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane.

3 T hey will not love each other. No one can get along with them. They will tell lies about others. They will not be able to keep from doing things they know they should not do. They will be wild and want to beat and hurt those who are good.

without natural affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.

4 T hey will not stay true to their friends. They will act without thinking. They will think too much of themselves. They will love fun instead of loving God.

treacherous, rash, inflated with self-conceit. lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.

5 T hey will do things to make it look as if they are Christians. But they will not receive the power that is for a Christian. Keep away from such people.

For they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it. Avoid such people.

6 T hese are the kind of people who go from house to house. They talk to foolish women who are loaded down with sins and all kinds of sinful desires.

For among them are those who worm their way into homes and captivate silly and weak-natured and spiritually dwarfed women, loaded down with sins swayed and led away by various evil desires and seductive impulses.

7 S uch women are always listening to new teaching. But they are never able to understand the truth.

they are forever inquiring and getting information, but are never able to arrive at a recognition and knowledge of the Truth.

8 J annes and Jambres fought against Moses. So do these teachers fight against the truth today. Their minds think only of sinful things. They have turned against the Christian teaching.

Now just as Jannes and Jambres were hostile to and resisted Moses, so these men also are hostile to and oppose the Truth. They have depraved and distorted minds, and are reprobate and counterfeit and to be rejected as far as the faith is concerned.

9 T hey will not get very far. Their foolish teaching will be seen by everyone. That was the way it was with the two who worked against Moses. Teach the Truth

But they will not get very far, for their rash folly will become obvious to everybody, as was that of those.

10 B ut you know what I teach and how I live. You know what I want to do. You know about my faith and my love. You know how long I am willing to wait for something. You know how I keep on working for God even when it is hard for me.

Now you have closely observed and diligently followed my teaching, conduct, purpose in life, faith, patience, love, steadfastness,

11 Y ou know about all the troubles and hard times I have had. You have seen how I suffered in the cities of Antioch and Iconium and Lystra. Yet the Lord brought me out of all those troubles.

Persecutions, sufferings—such as occurred to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, persecutions I endured, but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

12 Y es! All who want to live a God-like life who belong to Christ Jesus will suffer from others.

Indeed all who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life in Christ Jesus will meet with persecution.

13 S inful men and false teachers will go from bad to worse. They will lead others the wrong way and will be led the wrong way themselves.

But wicked men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and leading astray others and being deceived and led astray themselves.

14 B ut as for you, hold on to what you have learned and know to be true. Remember where you learned them.

But as for you, continue to hold to the things that you have learned and of which you are convinced, knowing from whom you learned,

15 Y ou have known the Holy Writings since you were a child. They are able to give you wisdom that leads to being saved from the punishment of sin by putting your trust in Christ Jesus.

And how from your childhood you have had a knowledge of and been acquainted with the sacred Writings, which are able to instruct you and give you the understanding for salvation which comes through faith in Christ Jesus '> leaning of the entire human personality on God in Christ Jesus in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness].

16 A ll the Holy Writings are God-given and are made alive by Him. Man is helped when he is taught God’s Word. It shows what is wrong. It changes the way of a man’s life. It shows him how to be right with God.

Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

17 I t gives the man who belongs to God everything he needs to work well for Him.

So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.