In the last days, perilous times will come, and people will be characterized by their love of self, greed, and wickedness, while pretending to be pious. These individuals will lead others astray, especially foolish women, and will resist the truth, but their folly will eventually be exposed. Those who live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, while evil people will continue to advance in evil. However, believers should remain in the teachings they have learned and rely on the divinely inspired Scriptures for guidance and instruction.
1 And know this: that in the last days perilous times will press near 2 Men will be lovers of themselves, greedy, self-exalting, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked 3 without affection, without peace, false accusers, unchaste, cruel, without kindness 4 traitorous, reckless, self-important, loving pleasure more than God 5 even having the appearance of piety while rejecting its virtue. And so, avoid them 6 For among these are ones who penetrate houses and lead away, like captives, foolish women burdened with sins, who are led away by means of various desires 7 always learning, yet never achieving knowledge of the truth 8 And in the same manner that Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so also will these resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobates from the faith 9 But they will not advance beyond a certain point. For the folly of the latter shall be made manifest to all, just as that of the former 10 But you have fully comprehended my doctrine, instruction, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience 11 persecutions, afflictions; such things as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra; how I endured persecutions, and how the Lord rescued me from everything 12 And all those who willingly live the piety in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution 13 But evil men and deceivers will advance in evil, erring and sending into error 14 Yet truly, you should remain in those things which you have learned and which have been entrusted to you. For you know from whom you have learned them 15 And, from your infancy, you have known the Sacred Scriptures, which are able to instruct you toward salvation, through the faith which is in Christ Jesus 16 All Scripture, having been divinely inspired, is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in justice 17 so that the man of God may be perfect, having been trained for every good work