Hard Times in the Last Days

1But know this: Hard times will come in the last days.

2For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3without natural affection, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, having no love for what is good,

4traitors, reckless, puffed up, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Avoid such people.

6Among them are those who ¹¹worm their way into houses and captivate vulnerable women who are overwhelmed with sins and swayed by various evil desires.

7Such women are always learning yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

8Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these false teachers also oppose the truth. They are corrupted in mind and have proven themselves to be unqualified with respect to the faith.

9But they will not make any further progress, for their folly will become obvious to everyone, just like the folly of Jannes and Jambres.

Continue in What You Have Learned

10Yoʋ, however, have closely followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance.

11Yoʋ know how much persecution and suffering I endured in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. Yet the Lord rescued me from it all.

12Indeed, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

13But evil people and imposters will become worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14But as for yoʋ, continue in what yoʋ have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom yoʋ have learned it,

15and how from childhood yoʋ have known the sacred writings, which are able to give yoʋ wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

16All Scripture is inspired by God and is beneficial for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness,

17so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.