The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead.
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But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2 As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse,
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For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical,
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heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4 treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God.
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treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people.
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having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
6 These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself "truth."
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For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,
7 They get exploited every time and never really learn.
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always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
8 These men are like those old Egyptian frauds Jannes and Jambres, who challenged Moses. They were rejects from the faith, twisted in their thinking, defying truth itself.
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Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
9 But nothing will come of these latest impostors. Everyone will see through them, just as people saw through that Egyptian hoax.
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But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
10 You've been a good apprentice to me, a part of my teaching, my manner of life, direction, faith, steadiness, love, patience,
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You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
11 troubles, sufferings - suffering along with me in all the grief I had to put up with in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. And you also well know that God rescued me!
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my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra--which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
12 Anyone who wants to live all out for Christ is in for a lot of trouble; there's no getting around it.
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Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
13 Unscrupulous con men will continue to exploit the faith. They're as deceived as the people they lead astray. As long as they are out there, things can only get worse.
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while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But don't let it faze you. Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers -
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But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
15 why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother's milk! There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
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and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another - showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way.
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All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
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that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.